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The human rights of Hindu citizens
are consistently violated in five regions where Hindus constitute
a minority: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Fiji, Pakistan, and the
Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir.
Highlights
 Hindus,
one billion strong, are the third largest religious group
in the world.
Hinduism
is one of the oldest surviving religions and its origins can
be traced back to at least the third millennium BCE.
Hindus
are liberal in their beliefs about the myriad means of worship
and prayer available to human beings to seek spiritual enlightenment.
Even
in their homeland, Hindus have been targets of attack by aggressive
proselytizing followers of other religions.
Islamic Republic
of Afghanistan
Hindus
have an ancient history in Afghanistan with ties back to the
Vedic age (anywhere between 7000 BCE and 1000 BCE).
Today,
Hindus do not send their children to public schools due to
fear of persecution or ridicule.
Governments
of several nations where Afghan Hindus live in exile are exerting
pressure on the refugees to return to Afghanistan despite
the continued violence toward and persecution of Hindus.
Recommendations
The
United States should pressure the German government to desist
from involuntary deportation of Hindus from Germany to Afghanistan.
India
should decrease the application fee for naturalization to
its original rate of 2,100 rupees (US$49), particularly for
Afghan Hindu refugees.
People's Republic
of Bangladesh
In
1947, Hindus constituted nearly 30% of Bangladesh’s
population.
By 1991,
20 million Hindus were “missing” from Bangladesh.
Today,
they are less than 10% of the population.
Hindus
of Bangladesh continue to be victims of the low intensity
war waged by Islamic fundamentalists.
This
low intensity violence includes daily acts of murder, rape,
kidnappings, temple destruction, and physical intimidation.
Human
rights activists and journalists are continuously harassed
and abused in Bangladesh.
Nearly
500 acts of murder, rape, kidnappings, temple destruction,
and land grab targeting Hindus in the twelve month period
have been recorded in this report.
The
data regarding attacks against Hindus in Bangladesh during
the month of December 2005 is not available at the time of
completing this report. It will be included later in an addendum.
Recommendations
Bangladesh
should demand immediate cessation of attacks against Hindus
and protect Hindus’ human rights.
Bangladesh
should repeal the anti-minority and racist laws such as the
vested property legislation.
Bangladesh
should set up a Human Rights Commission and/or a Minorities
Commission to monitor the human rights situation and to provide
redress to minority grievances.
The
United States should demand accountability from the Bangladesh
Government, and all aid to Bangladesh should be contingent
on the improvement of the human rights situation.
Republic
of the Fiji Islands
In
Fiji, Hindus constitute approximately 38% of the Christian
majority population and have lived in Fiji for over 200 years.
Fijian
Hindus continue to face a barrage of anti-Hindu speeches and
criticism.
Several
dozen Hindu temples were desecrated, destroyed by arson or
looted with continuing reports arriving monthly.
The
Methodist Church of Fiji repeatedly calls for the creation
of a Christian State and has endorsed forceful conversions
of Hindus during a previous coup d'état against a Hindu
leader in 1987. Many Fijian Methodist leaders today perpetuate
hate and intolerance against Hindus on the island.
Recommendations
Fiji
should stop granting preferential treatment to members of
the Christian community.
Fiji
should repeal the “Truth and Reconciliation” (TRC)
Bill and successfully prosecute and punish the criminals of
the 2000 coup.
Islamic
Republic of Pakistan
In
1947, Hindus were approximately 25% of the population of Pakistan.
Now
Hindus constitute less than 1.6% of the population.
Pakistan
officially discriminates against non-Muslims through a variety
of laws and strictures, and Hindus are targets of kidnappings,
rape, and intimidation.
On March
24, 2005, Pakistan restored the discriminatory practice of
mandating the mention of religious identity of individuals
in all new passports.
An alarming
trend in Pakistan is that of Muslims kidnapping Hindu girls,
forcing their stay in madrassas or religious schools, and
then coercing their conversion to Islam.
Hindus
continue to be targeted in Balochistan, and more than 5,000
Hindus have been forced to flee.
Recommendations
Pakistan
should remove all blasphemy laws. Those imprisoned under blasphemy
laws should get their day in court within a period of two
weeks. Long imprisonments without court appraisal constitute
human rights abuse.
Pakistan
should reverse the March 24, 2005 decision to mandate religious
identification in passports
Pakistan
should set up a Human Rights Commission and/or a National
Minorities Commission to monitor the human rights condition
and to enable minorities to enjoy the rights provided to the
majority population.
The
United States should demand that Pakistan stop aiding all
groups who seek to resolve the Kashmir dispute through violent
means. Any aid to Pakistan should be contingent on Pakistan’s
acceptance of a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute.
Indian State of Jammu
& Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is a state in India that has been claimed
by Pakistan since 1947.
The
Maharaja of Kashmir ceded his kingdom to India in 1947 when
Pakistan invaded Kashmir in order to conquer the kingdom.
Pakistan occupies about one-third of the region, and India
governs about two-thirds.
India
and Pakistan have fought major wars over Kashmir.
Since
the mid to late 1980s, Islamist terrorists from Pakistan and
Afghanistan have targeted Kashmir in a jihadi insurgency that
continues today with several massacres of Hindu citizens of
the state.
The
300,000 Kashmiri Hindus are refugees in their own country,
sheltered in temporary camps near New Delhi, Jammu and elsewhere.
Recommendations
Kashmiri
Hindus should be allowed to return to their homes, and their
human rights and lives must be protected by the Indian central
government and the Jammu and Kashmir state government without
interference from Pakistani terrorists.
The Hindu American Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3),
non-partisan organization, promoting the Hindu and American
ideals of understanding, tolerance and pluralism.
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