THE DESECRATED LITTLE HINDU TEMPLE
THE SYNOPSIS
In the bustling heart of Karachi, the capital of Pakistan, stands an overlooked relic — The Shree Rameshwar Mahadev Temple. Once a vibrant center of Hindu worship, now overshadowed by time, neglect, and urban encroachment. In both India and Pakistan places of worship used by minorities have been occasionally targeted by mobs. This Little Temple was attacked by a mob in 1992 in retaliation for the destruction of a Mosque in India called the Babri Mosque. When I visited in December 2023, (Zeineddine, a Pakistani American Muslim teenager based in New York City) I stumbled upon the temple and was struck by its dilapidated state and buried history.
What begins as a moment of curiosity transforms into a powerful mission for me: to Restore the Temple to its former dignity and give the local Hindu community a safe and welcoming space to worship again. Through creativity, determination and grassroots organizing, I decided to launch a fundraising campaign through GoFundMe which reached our goal of 100% where caring people donated over $18,000 from around the world. All while I stayed committed to overseeing the project management. Connecting with local religious leaders, engineers and contractors to orchestrate a full-scale renovation. From restoring broken staircases and flickering bulbs to clean water and electricity.
Set against the complex backdrop of Karachi’s religious landscape, this short documentary follows me through a journey of faith, cultural discovery, and youthful leadership, highlighting the resilience of a community long overlooked. As the temple is rebuilt, it becomes more than just a place of worship: it evolves into a hub for children’s education, cultural preservation, and interfaith coexistence.
The Desecrated Little Hindu Temple is a moving testament to how one young person’s initiative can bridge communities, revive forgotten heritage, and spark meaningful change.
THE HISTORY
Hindu Population in Pakistan
Currently there are 5 million Hindu’s in Pakistan who constitute just over 2% of the population.
Hindus in Pakistan are primarily concentrated in Sindh, where the majority of Hindu enclaves are found. They speak a variety of languages such as Sindhi, Seraiki, Aer, Dhatki, Gera, Goaria, Gurgula, Jandavra, Kabutra, Koli, Loarki, Marwari, Vaghri, and Gujarati.
Many Hindus, especially in the rural areas, follow the teachings of local Sufi pīrs (Urdu: spiritual guide)
Indian Partition of 1947
Pre the Indian Partition of 1947 by the British – Hindus constituted over 20% of the area that comprises modern day Pakistan.
During partition many Hindus migrated to modern day India where they constituted the majority of the population, and conversely many Muslims migrated from modern day India to Pakistan.
Temple and Mosque Attacks
In both India and Pakistan places of worship used by minorities have been occasionally targeted by mobs.
In Pakistan, the Shree Rameshwar Mahadev Temple in Karachi was attacked by a mob in 1992 in retaliation for the destruction of a Mosque in India called the Babri Mosque. You can learn more about that click here
THE FILM
THE LOST JEWS OF PAKISTAN
THE SYNOPSIS
My film centers around me (Zeineddine), a Pakistani American Muslim teenager based in New York City. On December 2022, my family and I visited one of Karachi’s oldest graveyards located in a dangerous part of the city, not far from where the late Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and murdered. I noticed that part of the cemetery looked like a wasteland with stray animals roaming. This was the “Jewish Section,” abandoned for over 40 years as the last Jews left Pakistan, amidst rising anti-semitism and better economic opportunities overseas. Only two graves were visible surrounded by messy foliage.
My documentary delves into the personal challenges, triumphs, and growth I experienced throughout this Graveyard Restoration Project. As the short film unfolds, viewers will enjoy the before and after archival footage of the Jewish gravesite, with some shocking discoveries along the way.
The Lost Jews of Pakistan is not just a story about a teenager revitalizing a gravesite; it’s a testament to the resilience and kindness that exists within us all. It captures the essence of human connection and community engagement as I was brave enough to foster a deal with the graveyard caretaker’s family to help me in this endeavor.
THE HISTORY
Karachi, Pakistan
Karachi is Pakistan’s largest city with over 20 million people.
A small Jewish community existed for over 300 years that peaked to 4,000 in the 1950’s. Many of them were from Iraq, Iran and the western coast of present day India.
Jewish architects, engineers and civil servants played a major part in the development of the city.
Jewish Synagogues
Among the contributions was the Magen Shalome Synagogue, built by Solomon David and Omer Daker.
Shortly after Israel declared independence in 1948, hostility towards Jews increased.
People conflated the Arab-Israeli conflict with the local, peaceful Jewish community.
During the 1940’s through to the 1970’s synagogues across Pakistan were frequently attacked and largely closed.
In 1988, the Magen Shalome Synagogue was demolished and was replaced by a shopping plaza.
Jewish Families of Pakistan
The Jewish community migrated to Israel, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.
By the late 1980’s, a minority community that lasted over 300 years was largely erased.
THE FILM
AUDIENCE REACTIONS
Watch the audience reactions from Toronto’s WILDsound TV platform
“How sweet of this young boy (Zeineddine) to see that and think…maybe I can do something about that. And talk to the right people to put the right things in place in order to honor these people.”
“I like how they separated the shots into 3 Acts with the text on screen. This makes it very easy to comprehend and very easy to follow along with all the information.”
“Meeting this young man Zeineddine was inspirational. I thought is was so touching when he said his father was supportive, his father was proud.”
“This was a terrifically well made film. It was wonderfully directed and edited and photographed. The interviews were done very nicely.”
“I really liked how this was setup in Act I, Act II, Act III. And I loved the fact that all of this was very easy to follow.”
“All of this comes from a young teenager I think it was very powerful and the documentary itself the way it is shot and directed and told is very – very interesting and compelling.”
“I do like the spin that this documentary did where they took the time and effort to restore this graveyard.”
Email Me: ZeineddineZ2011@gmail.com