Once again the Freemasonry Jewish temple in Lucknow is in the news. Shias have claimed the temple as a wakf property and has raised the demand for handing over the temple situated at Ram Tirath Marg in Hazratganj at Lucknow. The group Shia-e-Haider-e-Karrar has started a signature campaign and aims to get over two lakh signatures in support of their campaign. “We will hand over the signatures and memorandum to the CM Akhilesh Yadav. Shia scholars have also extended their support to our movement,” said Ehtisham Haider, an office bearer of the association. Earlier on 12 Sept. 2011, hundreds of Shia Muslims led by Maulana Kalbe Jawwad had staged a protest to stake claim over Freemasonic Temple. Shias claimed it be to a mausoleum of their Imams and presently being illegally occupied by Jews.
As per the legal records with the Shias, the Freemasonic temple is a wakf property which is registered in the name Wakf Karbala Moatmuddaula. It was built in 1825 by King Naseeruddin Haider which came under the possession of East India Company in February 1856 and later they handed it over to the Jews.