Inside This Newsletter

HAF CONCERNED ABOUT RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AT U.S. AIRFORCE ACADEMY

HAF MEETS U.K. BASED HINDU GROUPS AND OFFICIALS

HAF HOLDS HINDU AWARENESS CAMPAIGN IN NEW YORK

HAF Concerned About Religious Freedom at U.S. Air Force Academy

June 1, 2005

TAMPA, FL:  The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) expressed serious concern over multiple reports that many in the faculty and staff at the Colorado Springs U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) are abetting the spread of evangelical Christianity on the campus while fostering a climate of religious intolerance towards other religious traditions.

The Air Force, according to a statement made in early May, was first made aware of religious prejudice through a survey in 2004, in which Jewish and other Christians claimed they were being pressured by evangelical Christians. Although the Air Force created a program for Respecting the Spritiual Values of all People (RSVP), HAF noted that according to reports by former chaplains and students from the campus, the program was significantly weakened and inconsistently implemented.

“These reports of prosletyzation by senior officers, teachers and chaplains represent flagrant violations of the American ethos of religious tolerance and pluralism that air force cadets will be asked to uphold,” said Aseem R. Shukla, M.D., member of the HAF Board of Directors. “Forcing a narrow religious viewpoint on cadets when they are far from home for the first time and come to chaplains seeking spiritual comfort and solace is deplorable.”

According to a May 3 report in the Washington Post, several cadets stated that those who chose not to attend chapel after dinner at the USAFA are organized into a “Heathen Flight” and taken to their dormitories; that the “Chaplain of the Year” urged Christian cadets to advocate that their fellow cadets convert or “burn in the fires of hell”; that many born-again Christian faculty members push students to become born-again; and that several mandatory cadet meetings begin with Christian prayers.

A May 28, 2005 statement by the most recent official taskforce to visit the academy confirmed some instances of commanding officers imposing religious views on others and demands these officers to be more sensitive to these issues. HAF members supported these findings but continued to demand concrete action and disciplinary measures. They expressed particular concern that Hindus, as followers of a non-Abrahamic tradition that is largely misunderstood in the U.S., would be even more vulnerable to religious discrimination and concerted prosletyzation.

“HAF strongly opposes any effort to pressure cadets on the basis of religious affiliation,” said Dr. Shukla. “We urge the United States Air Force to consider the loss of morale and resentment prosletyzation effects on students and take definitive measures to restore the American tradition of real understanding and pluralism on the campus. Officers abusing this responsibility must face real consequences.”

For further information: Please contact HAF.
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HAF Meets U.K. Based Hindu Groups and Officials

May 30, 2005

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: The Hindu American Foundation concluded a series of interactions with Hindu organizations based in the United Kingdom (U.K.) & officials of the U.K. Government’s Home Office.  With the goal of trying to understand the challenges faced by Hindus in the United States of America (U.S.A.) and the U.K., a series of high level meetings were held with several Hindu organizations.  By the conclusion of the trip, HAF had forged partnerships with several U.K. Hindu groups to further issues of importance to Hindus in the U.K. and U.S.A. and promote pluralism and understanding.

Dr. Mihir Meghani, President of HAF, with Dilip Lakhani, at the BAPS Swaminarayan Hindu Mandir in Neasden, U.K., during arti

In HAF’s meeting with the Home Office’s Faith and Community Cohesion Unit, HAF expressed concern about recent legislation that would prevent Hindu priests from immigrating to the U.K. and would force temples to close down.  Anil Bhanot, Executive Director of the Hindu Council U.K. (HCUK), stated, “Home ministry officials have expressed their appreciation for HAF’s input and assured both HAF and the HCUK that they would consider our input and forward our concerns to Members of Parliament.”

Hindus in the U.K. voiced several other concerns to HAF including the lack of British government funding for Hindu groups while other faith groups had a dramatic increase in funding, the lack of Hindu Members of Parliament, Hindu human rights globally, disunity in the Hindu community in U.K., the misappropriation of Hindu symbols for commercial purposes, and apathy in the community to Hinduism in general.

The HCUK organized a program at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan on Sunday May 15, 2005.  There was a large attendance from various Hindu organizations and communities.  As part of the topic of “Transnational Identities,” HAF President Dr. Mihir Meghani presented HAF’s Hindu Awareness Campaign (HAC) which highlighted the situation of Hindus in the U.S.A. and HAF’s role in addressing the challenges and opportunities facing them.  Anuja Prashar, an Executive Board Member of the HCUK, added, “This program is about talking about the role Hindus can play in western society.  The Hindu American Foundation is contributing greatly to the development of a global Hindu voice and in promoting a credible Hindu voice in the institutions that shape public perceptions and policy.”

The Hindu Forum of Britain (HFB) organized a press conference in London on Saturday, May 14, 2005 where HAF released the 2004 Hindu Human Rights Report on Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India’s state of Jammu & Kashmir.  Ramesh Kallidai, Secretary General of the HFB, explained that, “The report catalogues a series of human rights violations in the region. It is important for the world to sit up and take note of these attacks just as much as it does of human rights violations against other communities.”  Dr. Meghani added, “The Hindu minority in this region are regular victims of terrorism, murder and religious cleansing and we urge international human rights organisations and governments across the world to acknowledge the full extent of these human rights abuses and take action to address these injustices.”

On Saturday, May 14, 2005, Dr. Meghani addressed the sabha at the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Neasden which has an attendance of around 2,000.  He presented HAF’s HAC presentation.  Commending the work of BAPS and the leadership of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, Dr. Meghani said, “BAPS is doing important work to promote universal and spiritual values.  Many Hindus such as myself are inspired by the message of Bhagwan Swaminarayan, Pramukh Swami, and the millions of volunteers of BAPS worldwide.  HAF is providing the interface between sampradayas like BAPS and the institutions worldwide that shape public policy.”

HAF met with leaders of the Hindu Human Rights Group.  Dr. Meghani lauded the group for its efforts in countering defamation, educating the public about issues facing Hindus in the U.K., and working proactively to counter hate in U.K.  HAF also met with leaders from the Chinmaya Mission, National Council of Hindu Temples, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, BAPS Swaminarayan Hindu Mandir, Indo-European Kashmir Forum, Human Rights Commission for Bangladesh Minorities, National Hindu Students Forum, and Vivekananda Centre.

For further information: Please contact HAF.
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HAF Holds Hindu Awareness Campaign in New York

May 30, 2005

NEW YORK, NY: Between May 20 to May 22, the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) made a successful initial foray into the New York (NY) metropolitan area with several events designed to present HAF’s vision, goals, and achievements.

On Friday, May 20, HAF President, Mihir Meghani, M.D., held a press conference at the Maalika Indian Restaurant in Manhattan. A number of Hindu and Indian journalists attended the press conference at which Dr. Meghani discussed HAF, its accomplishments, its objectives for 2005 and 2006 and his recent groundbreaking visit to the United Kingdom. “The press conference was important because it allowed HAF to broadcast its message of understanding, tolerance and pluralism to the greater New York/New Jersey community,” stated Dr. Meghani.  Several interviews were done for the print and television media.

On Saturday, May 21, HAF presented its Hindu Awareness Campaign (HAC) at the Ganesha Hindu Temple (Hindu Temple Society of North America) in Flushing, NY.  The first HAC event in NY attracted a large audience of highly motivated Hindu community leaders. Dr. Meghani, Mr. Nikhil N. Joshi, Esq., (HAF Board Member), Mr. Pawan Deshpande (HAF Executive Council Member), and Ms. Adeeti N. Joshi (HAF Associate and Gift Coordinator) conducted the inspiring HAC event. Dr. Gaddam Reddy, Vice-President of the Temple, stated that HAF “has proven its weight in gold after less than two years in existence. We are very pleased to see an organization take charge to lead Hindu Americans into the future. In my mind, HAF’s leaders are the future Vivekanandas!”

On Sunday, May 22, HAF held a HAC program at the Bhuvaneshvar Mandir in Queens, NY. An audience consisting of mainly Caribbean Hindus warmly welcomed Dr. Meghani, Mr. Joshi, and HAF’s Human Rights intern Preetom Sikder.  Dr. Meghani and Mr. Joshi presented the HAC event to an audience that included a large number of youth and young professionals. The Caribbean community openly solicited support for HAF and in doing so, Pandita Indrani Rampersad, the first Hindu Pandit from Trinidad and Tobago, implored that “Hindus who care to preserve their heritage and who want to have a voice in the American mainstream must do everything in their power to enable HAF to accomplish its noble objectives.” 

During the course of the weekend in New York, HAF leaders discussed ways to reduce hate and promote understanding, tolerance, and pluralism with the leadership of the Simon Wiesenthal Center.  In Long Island, NY, HAF was hosted by Dr. and Mrs. Narinder Kukar at a dinner meeting, where Mr. and Mrs. Joshi, and Dr. Meghani formally presented HAF to a gathering of community leaders.  HAF also met with Dr. A.V. Raghunath of the Kanchi Kamakoti Seva Foundation and received an update on issues surrounding the deplorable attack on the Sankaracharya of Kanchi and the work of the Kanchi Math in India.  At all venues, HAF was asked to return again for further programs to promote awareness of the issues Hindu Americans face and the work of HAF,  and to raise money to support HAF’s plans to serve the community.

For further information: Please contact HAF.
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