Inside This Newsletter

HAF EXPRESSES SUPPORT FOR USCIRF 2006 REPORT

HAF DISAPPROVES OF STATE-SPONSORED PERSECUTION OF ISKCON IN KAZAKHSTAN

FOUNDATION REPRESENTS HINDU AMERICANS AT WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER EVENT

HAF CONGRATULATES HINDU SEER FOR B.R. AMBEDKAR AWARD

HINDU ORGANIZATIONS BACK COUPLE'S FIGHT TO SHELTER COWS

HAF OUTRAGED BY LATEST MASSACRE IN KASHMIR
 

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HAF Expresses Support for USCIRF 2006 Report

WASHINGTON DC (May 16, 2006) – The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) expressed support over portions of the annual report released by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) on May 3, 2006. The report, which aims to draw the U.S. government’s attention to countries with systematic violations of religious freedom, continues to designate Saudi Arabia and Pakistan as Countries of Particular Concern (CPC). Both Bangladesh and Afghanistan were placed on the Commission’s “Watch List” this year, indicating that they are at risk for placement on the CPC list. These recommendations were forwarded to the US State Department for evaluation and further action.

HAF welcomed the report’s highlighting of religious violations that Hindus and other minorities continue to face in many countries designated as CPC’s. HAF’s own upcoming annual survey of Hindu human rights will expand upon the abuses and atrocities in these countries.

“We are pleased that the USCIRF is bringing the suffering of Hindus to the attention of the US government,” said Prof. Ramesh Rao, member of the HAF Executive Council. “Hindus face a host of discriminatory laws in Pakistan and Bangladesh, and are continually victimized by Pakistani-supported terrorists in India’s state of Jammu and Kashmir.”

HAF commended the Commission’s strong disapproval of violations against minorities in Pakistan. The USCIRF reported on the continuous ideological training of madrassas, Hudood Ordinances that exacts harsh punishments for women and non-Muslims, and false blasphemy allegations against Hindus. Still, HAF members were disappointed that the Commission’s report overlooked the sharp increase in reports of kidnappings of Hindu girls who are subsequently forced to marry Muslim men and convert to Islam.

“Given the continued discrimination and violence against the Hindu minority population in Pakistan, HAF completely agrees with the USCIRF’s decision to designate Pakistan as a Country of Particular Concern. We hope that the U.S. State Department will follow suit and draw further attention to atrocities occurring in Pakistan,” said Dr. Rao.

With almost 500 attacks against Bangladesh’s Hindus documented in HAF’s forthcoming report, the foundation strongly believed that Bangladesh should have been included as a CPC. The Commission, which traveled to Bangladesh in March of 2006, was concerned by an increase of religious extremism fueling attacks against minorities, particularly Ahmadis, Hindus, and Christians.

“Hindus face a litany of daily abuses in Bangladesh ranging from temple attacks to kidnappings to land eviction. These crimes are largely unaddressed by the police and warrant Bangladesh’s designation as a CPC.” said Aseem Shukla, M.D., member of the HAF Board of Directors.

HAF’s upcoming second annual survey of Hindu human rights will detail the mistreatment of Hindus in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Fiji, the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir, and Pakistan during the 2005 calendar year. In addition, this year’s report includes specific violations of Constitutions and United Nations Covenants, which these countries are expected to honor.

For further information: Please contact HAF.
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HAF Disapproves of State-Sponsored Persecution of ISKCON in Kazakhstan

WASHINGTON D.C. (May 11, 2006) – An ashram belonging to members of the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in the Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan was recently targeted for demolition by government authorities. According to reports, on April 25, 2006, court executors, with prior legal approval, arrived with police officials to bulldoze five of the members’ homes located on the outskirts of the city of Almaty. Though authorities were deterred from completing the demolition by the presence of many local journalists, they have expressed their commitment to return when media scrutiny subsides.

The ashram is located on a 118 acre commune which is owned by a Kazakhstani horticulture association. According to officials, the ISKCON homes were being demolished because the members of group did not privately own the land. However, ISKCON spokespersons stated that previous attempts to purchase the land were unsuccessful after their proposals were repeatedly rejected by the local hakim (governor). Though only about twelve out of the 120 members of the horticulture association owned their own land, government authorities exclusively targeted the property of the ISKCON devotees for seizure and demolition. In addition, the ISKCON members were only given a one day notice prior to the demolition of their homes in spite of a law that requires an advance warning of at least five days.

"The state is trying to reduce the whole action to an economic dispute. However, it is obvious that the rights of dozens of Kazakh citizens belonging to a religious minority are being violated," argued ISKCON spokeswoman Yekaterina Levitskaya. She went on to stress that it was “specifically members of the Krishna community who are having their dachas [country homes] confiscated."

Kazakhstan, the largest republic in Central Asia with a population of over 15 million, is comprised of over 130 ethnic groups who practice 40 religions. Ethnic Russians, who typically are traditionally members of the Russian Orthodox Church, constitute around a third of the population while ethnic Kazakhs, who are Sunni Muslims, make up half. There is also a small Jewish religious minority. Though not demographically significant, followers of ISKCON, a Hindu Vaishnavite sect, have been registered in the Karasai district since May 2002.

According to the U.S. State Department’s 2005 International Religious Freedom report, the Kazakhstani Government maintained a list of 73 minority religious groups which are protected under the Constitution. According to the same report, several of these groups, including ISKCON, reported being vilified as a threat to society and national security by media agencies including government-controlled outlets. In the past, several Members of Parliament have made inflammatory official statements expressing suspicion of minority religions. Last year, under the pretext of national security, several amendments were passed allowing the government to target minority religious groups and severely restrict religious freedom.

“The government actions against the ISKCON community amount to religious persecution and violates the civil rights guaranteed by Kazakhstani law,” asserted Pawan Deshpande, Member of the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) Executive Council. “Hindus around the world should stand together to condemn this state-sponsored assault.”

For further information: Please contact HAF.
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Foundation Represents Hindu Americans at White House National Day of Prayer Event

WASHINGTON D.C. (May 4, 2006)—Leaders of the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) attended a reception hosted by President George W. Bush commemorating the National Day of Prayer at the White House on May 4, 2006. Held in the historic East Room of the White House this year, the National Day of Prayer program has been held annually on the first Thursday of May pursuant to a joint Congressional resolution enacted in 1952 and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman.

Sheetal Shah (left) and Nikhil Joshi, Esq. (right) stand in front of the East Room of the White House prior to joining President Bush in celebrating the National Day of Prayer.

As the only Hindu attendees of the event, HAF Executive Council Member, Sheetal Shah, and HAF Board Member, Nikhil Joshi, Esq. joined approximately 200 other invited guests representing various faith-based groups. In a brief speech to those gathered, President Bush spoke of the importance of faith in the daily lives of many Americans, but that the freedom to practice a faith or no faith is a bedrock principle of the United States of America.

"As a Hindu, it was an honor to join the President in celebrating the central role that prayer holds in our daily religious practice,” said Shah. “We are pleased that the White House continues to include diverse faiths in this important event to honor the various ways in which so many of us seek spiritual guidance."

HAF members attended the White House Diwali reception last year and have held briefings on Hindu human rights issues and religious liberty issues with White House staff in the past. Through these interactions, the foundation recently began working with other Hindu organizations to utilize Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (FBCI) funding and distributed a guide to assist such groups in navigating through the process last year. An invitation to the annual event as Hindu representatives was a continuation of that ongoing dialogue.

"Every event where HAF can dialogue with prominent faith-based groups is an opportunity to share the fundamental role of prayer in the lives of every Hindu, and an opportunity to speak of the central role of tolerance and pluralism in our religion,” said Joshi. “While substantial action on the many critical socio-political issues that Hindus face will require interactions with leaders at all levels of government, the growing Hindu American segment of this nation’s religious fabric was highlighted by our attendance of the White House program."

For further information: Please contact HAF.
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HAF Congratulates Hindu Seer for B.R. Ambedkar Award

TAMPA, Fl (May 4, 2006) – The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) congratulated Hindu spiritual leader Sri Shivamurthy Murugharajendra Swami for being awarded the prestigious B.R. Ambedkar Award by the State of Karnataka, India. He was honored in recognition of his contributions in the upliftment of members of the Scheduled Castes (referred to by some as “Harijans” or “untouchables”) in India. The Swami was one of eight honorees to be given the award, which was presented on April 14, 2006 by the Chief Minister of Karnataka, H.D. Kumaraswamy, at a function celebrating the 115th birth anniversary B.R. Ambedkar.

The award commemorates the life of B.R. Ambedkar, one of the greatest Indian leaders of the 20th century and a member of the Scheduled Castes. Educated at Columbia University, Ambedkar, known affectionately as ‘Babasaheb’, was at the forefront of the movement advocating greater rights for Untouchables beginning in the 1920s. He was also active in the Indian independence movement and played a central role in the framing of the Indian Constitution.

“It is refreshing to see Hindu spiritual leaders taking an active role in social reform, especially related to casteism,” said Swaminathan Venkataraman, member of the Hindu American Foundation Executive Council. “Sri Shivamurthy Murugharajendra Swami is a worthy nominee for his inspiring efforts to gain social equality for India’s downtrodden.”

Sri Shivamurthy Murugharajendra Swami is the pontiff of the Sri Jagadguru Murugharajendra Math (religious center) located in Chitradurga, Karnataka. The center, with branches throughout the south Indian states of Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, follows the Lingayat (Veerashaiva) tradition of the renowned 12th century social reformer Sri Basaveshwara who was committed to the elimination of discrimination based on caste, class and gender.

The Swami has organized and provided spiritual and social leadership to Scheduled Castes in South India. He has initiated thousands into the Veerashaiva sect besides anointing a priest belonging to a Scheduled Caste as the head of a major Hindu institution. He has also pressured the Government to implement irrigation projects in draught-prone areas, many of which are home to members of the depressed castes.

“Other Hindu sects and sampradayas should follow Sri Shivamurthy Murugharajendra Swami-ji’s example to actively work towards religious and spiritual equality for all Hindus,” urged Pawan Deshpande, a member of the Hindu American Foundation Executive Council. “True religious parity and economic upliftment of the Scheduled Castes are an imperative for the future of Hindu society in India.”

For further information: Please contact HAF.
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Hindu Organizations Back Couple's Fight to Shelter Cows

TAMPA, Fl (May 3, 2006) – The Appellate Division of State Supreme Court ruled on April 28, 2006 that Stephen and Linda Voith would not be able to keep cows in their private property in the village of Angelica in New York. On April 2, 2006, the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), along with other Hindu, Jain and religious freedom groups, filed an amicus (friend of the court) brief with the 4th Department Appellate Court expressing concern that local laws were being misused to unfairly discriminate against the couple who harbored the cattle for religious purposes.

The couple has kept the cows in accordance with the Hindu belief of goraksha (cow protection) and for a religious procession known as a padayatra. In traditional Hindu society, bovines are kept on private property only for agrarian purposes. Cows which are used for religious ceremonies are housed in special constructed goshalas or cow protection shelters.

The Voiths, who first moved into village located in the foothills of the Appalachian foothills in 1999, have been fighting local officials for the past seven years to raise cows on their private property. Officials ordered the couple to expel the cows from their land citing a 1986 ordinance disallowing cattle on lots which are less than 10 acres in size. The couple kept their cow, Chintamani, on a nearby farm but later moved her and her calves to their property in 2001. In addition, they also leased an additional twelve acres to comply with the law. However, despite their attempts, village officials denied their application for a permit.

“Our neighbor runs a beef farm behind our house. He is allowed to raise beef cows and billy goats on a one acre parcel right next to our property," says Stephen Voith, "Only our cows have been banned."

The Voiths then took the issue to court. During their trial at the County Court level, the couple was not allowed to testify, or to bring up First Amendment religious rights issues and the case was ruled that it "has nothing to do with religion.” After the verdict was challenged, on April 28, 2006, the appeals court ruled that “contrary to the contention of defendants, neither their leasing of the 12 acre noncontiguous parcel nor their regard of their animals as their companions or pets brings them into compliance with the ordinance".

“The purpose of HAF's efforts in these proceedings was to ensure true religious freedom for all faiths, including Hinduism,” said Nikhil Joshi, Esq, member of the Hindu American Foundation Board of Directors. “The governmental restrictions that have severely limited the Voiths' right to foster and protect their cows casts an unconstitutional prophylactic blanket upon the Voiths' ability to espouse freely their religious beliefs."

For further information: Please contact HAF.
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HAF Outrages by Latest Massacre in Kashmir

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 2, 2006) – The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) strongly condemned the massacre of twenty-two Hindus in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir by suspected Islamist terrorists yesterday. According to the latest reports, militants belonging to the Pakistan-sponsored Lashkar-e-Toiba trekked into remote hamlets in the state’s Doda district and specifically rounded up Hindu residents into the home of a village leader. The Hindus, including a six-year-old girl, were then massacred with machine guns.

The latest killings came on the heels of the abduction of 13 other Hindus earlier the same day and the gunning down of four Hindu ranch-hands from the Udhampur district the previous day. The two-day orgy was the worst in Kashmir in nearly three years though the upcoming 2005 Hindu Human Rights report documents a steady drumbeat of attacks on Hindus throughout the year.

“The latest murder spree tragically confirms two realities: the bankruptcy of the Pakistani government’s so-called commitment to a peace process, and the utter failure of the Government of India to safeguard the lives of innocent Hindus and Muslims within its territory,” said Aseem Shukla, M.D., member of the HAF Board of Directors.

Over the last year, Hindus in India witnessed attacks on their most sacred temple complexes in Ayodhya and Varanasi that left dozens dead and were also attributed to the Lashkar-e-Toiba. And just as the temple killings occurred during a period of ongoing dialogue between Pakistan and India, the latest attacks in Kashmir came on the eve of talks that were to be held by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with leaders of ostensibly more moderate Kashmiri separatist groups.

The Lashkar continues to operate from Pakistan with a stated mission of destroying India. Despite being officially banned, most believe that the group receives financial and logistical support from Pakistani intelligence agencies and various military officials.

“It seems amply clear that Pakistan—and to a growing extent, the Islamist-backed government in Bangladesh—are wholly unwilling to rein in the jihadi outfits they nurtured and now threaten even their own illegitimate existence,” said Prof. Ramesh Rao, member of the HAF Executive Council. “These latest attacks and our annual report confirm the vulnerability of Hindu men, women and children in their homes, schools and most sacred places of worship in India at the hands of imported terrorism. This is a disastrous reality that the international community must condemn in the strongest possible terms. We urge Indian authorities to take all necessary measures to safeguard the lives of all of its citizens and aggressively combat the menace of Islamist terrorism within its borders.”

For further information: Please contact HAF.
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