WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 27, 2006) – The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) held a press conference today on Capitol Hill to release its much anticipated second annual report on the status of human rights of Hindus in South Asia, Afghanistan and Fiji. Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), senior ranking member of the House International Relations Committee, co-hosted the press conference held in the Rayburn House Building. In her remarks, Ros-Lehtinen expressed serious concern over the facts presented in the human rights report and welcomed the document as a crucial resource.

Executive Director, Ishani Chowdhury presenting a copy of the Hindu American Foundation's 2nd Annual Hindu Human Rights Report to Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehitnen (R-FL) at Capitol Hill. Also present (L-R): Nikhil Joshi, Esq., Member of Board of Directors; Rajit Das, Intern; and Dr. Aseem Shukla, Member of Board of Directors.

"As an ardent human rights advocate in the United States Congress, I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure that all are afforded the protection they deserve," said Ros-Lehtinen during her address. "Especially, Hindus who are persecuted by extremist groups."

A House resolution calling attention to human rights violations against Hindus prompted by, among other things, the HAF report is being prepared and the congresswoman is expected to deliver a separate floor statement highlighting human rights violations that are particularly severe in Bangladesh.

"The second annual report on Hindu human rights is an objective compilation from reports by credible human rights groups of the genocide, ethnic cleansing, terrorism, and discriminatory laws that Hindus face everyday in parts of South Asia and beyond," said Ishani Chowdhury, Executive Director of HAF. "This report documents a humanitarian tragedy that fills an important void existing in reports by both governments and other human rights organizations."

The 105-page document is entitled "Hindus in South Asia & the Diaspora: A Survey of Human Rights (2005)". The report has garnered a broad array of endorsements from several members of Congress, various academics and human rights and religious leaders of diverse faiths.

"By documenting human rights violations against Hindus in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Fiji and the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, the Hindu American Foundation continues to raise global awareness of these abuses," said Congressman Joseph Crowley (D-NY), as he joined Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Jim Ramstad (R-MN) and many other members of the U.S. Congress whose endorsements of the report continue to be received daily at HAF offices in Washington, D.C.

The 2005 report individually documents over 500 incidents of murder, arson, rape, desecration of temples, usurpation of property and other forms of violence against Hindus over a single year in Bangladesh. The report confirms a continuous rise in such attacks since the 2001 general election brought the Bangladesh National Party to power in coalition with Islamist political organizations. In 2005, according to the HAF report, Pakistan witnessed a spate of Hindu temple destructions, kidnappings and forced conversions of Hindu girls. Furthermore, the government of Pakistan continues a grim policy of aiding and abetting Islamist organizations recognized as terrorist groups by the U.S. State Department such as the Lashkar-e-Toiba.

HAF included Fiji in the 2005 report as part of its long-term goal of highlighting human rights abuses against Hindus in the diaspora beyond South Asia. Despite comprising 38% of the island nation’s population, Hindus and their religious institutions are routinely attacked in Fiji. The heavily influential Methodist Church there has called for conversions of Hindus and establishment of a Christian state.

"Everyone who is concerned with obtaining the necessary human rights and privileges for people of all religions should be indebted to the Hindu American Foundation for bringing into the light the serious discriminatory practices and unacceptable behavior which in any way makes for insensitive treatment of Hindus and their faith," said Ernest Weiner, Executive Director of the Northern California Region of the American Jewish Committee.

After reviewing the report, Iftekhar Hai, President of United Muslims of America Interfaith Alliance condemned extremist violence and said, "It gives me great pain to note that extremist Muslims, a tiny minority, are unleashing terror on our Hindu brothers and sisters."

Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean and co-founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a widely respected international human rights organization, heaped similar praise on HAF. "The Simon Wiesenthal Center welcomes this report which will help the international community and Non-governmental Organizations to have a broader understanding of the human rights situation in that important region of the world."

Several academics on campuses around the U.S. also reviewed this year’s report. "This report by the Hindu American Foundation…is a real eye-opener," observed Professor Nathan Katz, Professor of Religious Studies at Florida International University. "As a minority in Islamic societies that consider them to be ‘idolaters,’ Hindus in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan face unimaginable persecution routinely."

The HAF report was simultaneously released by Global Human Rights Defence in the Hague, Netherlands, where that organization is committed to spreading awareness about the contents of the report in the European Union.

HAF leadership hoped that this year’s report will again serve as a credible source of information for governmental and human rights organizations. The HAF report calls for concrete action by responsible governments to end religious persecution. The foundation plans to follow the report with coordinated activities to raise awareness of Hindu human rights in Washington, D.C. and at international venues throughout the year.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 15, 2006) – The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) bemoaned the destruction of the last Hindu temple in Lahore, Pakistan. At the time of the partition of India in 1947 Lahore was known as one of the centers of culture and cosmopolitanism. Soon thereafter its great artists, musicians, and its Hindu and Sikh populations either moved voluntarily out of that city or were driven out by the fundamentalist Muslim forces that have shaped the country since then. "The last stroke in making Lahore totally Muslim is the demolition of the only remaining Hindu temple in the city", said Ramesh Rao, member of the HAF Executive Council.

A private developer was allowed to demolish the ‘Krishna Mandir’ at Wachhoowali, Rang Mahal, and construct a commercial building in its place. Government officials, in charge of protecting minority interests, were involved in the machinations that led to the destruction of the last Hindu temple in Lahore. The Evacuee Property Trust Board (EPTB), the government body maintaining properties of minorities, especially Hindus and Sikhs, was said to have concealed facts from the municipal board chairman about the nature of the building. This is not the first time the EPTB has permitted the demolition of a temple. It was only last year that the Vehari temple in Punjab was razed for the construction of a commercial building.

WASHINGTON D.C (June 2, 2006) – The Hindu American Foundation today welcomed a statement that was the outcome of an inter-faith dialogue organized by the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, Vatican City (the Vatican), and the Office on Inter-religious Relations & Dialogue of the World Council of Churches, Geneva (the WCC). The inter-faith meeting was entitled, "Conversion: Assessing the Reality", and met in Lariano, Italy on May 12-16, 2006. The meeting was attended by representatives of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and the Yoruba religion.

The participants affirmed that while everyone has a right to invite others to an understanding of their faith, it should not be exercised by violating other's rights and religious sensibilities. Delegates agreed that freedom of religion enjoins upon everyone the equally non-negotiable responsibility to respect, and never to denigrate, vilify or misrepresent others’ faiths for the purpose of affirming superiority of one’s own beliefs. The statement also called upon everyone "to heal themselves from the obsession of converting others."

"The reflections and recommendations from the inter-faith summit, while not unanimous, are nevertheless consonant with the pluralistic tenets of Hinduism," said Ishani Chowdhury, Executive Director of the Hindu American Foundation. "Hinduism’s acceptance of a multitude of paths to the divine is critical to fostering peace in today’s global society -- and it is such a perspective that fosters respect for others beliefs rather than mere tolerance."

The statement also recommended reforms to ensure that conversion by "unethical" means are rejected by all; that humanitarian work is conducted without any ulterior motives; and that vulnerable sections of society, such as children and the disabled, are not exploited. Chowdhury was clear that aggressive proselytizing and the exploitation of the vulnerable and destitute is unethical in every regard.

"Hindu traditions are not unfamiliar with the religious motive of sharing one's conviction and persuading others about its validity," said Prof. Anantanand Rambachan, Professor of Religion, Philosophy and Asian Studies at Saint Olaf College, Minnesota, a Hindu participant at the conference. "However, absence of institutionalization and centralization meant that there were no organized and systematic efforts to supplant different viewpoints and religious diversity was seen as a natural reflection of the diversity of human nature and experience."

Hindu scriptures state that truth is anirvachaniya – it exceeds the comprehension and verbal description of any one tradition and thus justifies theological humility. In this context, Hinduism respects – an individual’s freedom of exercise of religious inquiry and choice free from any pressure of aggressive proselytization. In fact, Hindus perceive aggressive proselytization itself as a form of violence, to be shunned by the truly spiritual.

The interfaith dialogue in Larino was the first in a series of three planned discussions under the auspices of the Vatican and the WCC on the matter of conversion, although the next two are expected to be intra-Christian meetings. The exercise aims to evolve a "code of conduct" on conversion, which all faiths could follow.