Celebrating the contributions of Hindus and Hinduism to the United States, a prominent Indian-American Congressman introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives condemning Hinduphobia, anti-Hindu bigotry, hatred and intolerance .
The resolution introduced by Congressman Shri Thanedar on Wednesday was referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability.
The resolution states that despite their positive contributions to the United States, Hindu Americans face stereotypes and misinformation about their heritage and symbols, and have been targets of bullying in schools and on college campuses, as well. than discrimination, hate speech and prejudice. motivated crimes.
According to the FBI’s statistical report on hate crimes, anti-Hindu hate crimes targeting mandirs and people are increasing every year while at the same time Hinduphobia in American society is unfortunately increasing, the resolution said.
Noting that the United States has welcomed more than four million Hindus from around the world since the 1900s, representing diverse racial, linguistic and ethnic backgrounds, the resolution affirms that the country has benefited greatly from the contributions of Hindu Americans in all aspects of life. the country’s economy and all industries.
About a fortnight ago, Indian-American Congressmen Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ro Khanna, Thanedar, Ami Bera and Pramila Jayapal had written to the Department of Justice requesting information on the status of investigations into a alarming increase in incidents of vandalism in homes. of worship across the country, including at Hindu temples, to better understand existing law enforcement coordination between local agencies, the FBI and the Civil Rights Division.
“Attacks on mandirs from New York to California have contributed to increased collective anxiety among Hindu Americans. Leaders of these affected communities said there were unfortunately no leads on the suspects, leaving many of them to continue living in fear and intimidation. Our communities remain concerned about law enforcement coordination regarding these bias-motivated crimes, and they question whether there is appropriate federal oversight to ensure equal protection under the law,” the letter dated June 29 states. March.
The number of incidents and the proximity of when they occurred raises troubling questions about the connections and intent behind them. It takes relatively few coordinated acts of hatred to create nationwide fear within a community that has often been marginalized or neglected, and we must work collaboratively to combat hatred against all religious, ethnic minorities , racial and cultural in America.
“We therefore request that you provide us with an understanding of the Department’s specific strategy regarding hate crimes targeting Hindus in the United States,” the letter said.
Khanderao Kand, head of policy and strategy at the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies, said that in the first quarter of this year, there was a sudden increase in vandalism as well as thefts in American temples, intimidating worshipers.
“Given the fact that local authorities often fail to investigate cases to find culprits, we thank the Indian-American House of Representatives for asking the FBI and DOJ to investigate. We hope the FBI/DOJ will investigate to find any campaign or conspiracy. who exists behind such attacks to assure the Indian diaspora and peace-loving South Asians of their safety and freedom of religion,” he said.
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First publication: April 12, 2024 | 9:36 a.m. STI