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Malaysian Hindus Terrorized Over Proposed Temple
Washington, DC (August 31, 2009) - Global condemnation continued today after a Malaysian Muslim community threatened local Hindus late last week over a proposed Hindu temple relocation. When a proposal to shift the Sri Mariamman Hindu temple to a new area was floated by the government, local residents rushed out of the Shah Alam State Mosque after Friday prayers carrying a severed cow's head. Muslim community leaders threatened bloodshed against Hindus if the temple was built and then threw the cow's head at the door of the building for the state Secretariat while kicking and spitting upon the carcass. Police did not intervene in the protest and have yet to identify any of the leaders of the Muslim mob, a stark contrast from the disruption of any illegal gathering that is held in Malaysia.
The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) voiced its own outrage over events in Malaysia in a strongly-worded letter sent to the Malaysian Embassy here in Washington, D.C. The letter detailed the Foundation's concerns that the incident highlights the tenuous human rights situation for Hindus in that country where they comprise nearly 10% of the population. The cow is revered by Hindus as a symbol of purity, motherhood and ahimsa (non-violence), and its use during the protests was an ugly first in the country.
The HAF's annual human rights reports over the last five years have documented the deteriorating situation of minority rights in Malaysia. In a country with nearly 40% of its population as minorities, Malaysia practices a Bumiputra policy that provides affirmative action to its majority Muslim Malay population, a Shariah court system that intervenes in any custodial affairs that involve at least one Hindu, and a government that allows for the large scale demolition of numerous Hindu temples and the arrest of Hindu-Malaysian leaders who peacefully speak in protest of such actions. One of the highest profiled cases was that of Revathi Massosai, who was admitted to an Islamic rehabilitation center when Shariah courts noticed that her birth certificate bore a Muslim name, despite being raised as a Hindu and professing the Hindu faith. Till date, Massosai has not been granted custodial rights of her daughter, and has not been reunited with her Hindu husband. Similarly, leaders of the Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF), which organized a peaceful rally in November 2007, to protest discriminatory government polices were held in detention under draconian laws and denied adequate medical care without a trail or hearing.
"The Foundation seeks a quick restoration of the law and order situation in Shah Alam, prosecution of those who instigated the Muslim mob and protection of the local Hindu residents," said Ishani Chowdhury, Director of Public Policy for HAF. "It is important that the temple construction continue and Hindus be granted adequate security and peace of mind to continue practicing their faith."