HAF Stresses Common Lineage of Jews and Hindus to San Francisco Jewish Leaders

HAF Attends the Religion Newswriters Association Annual Conferences in Washington, D.C.

In a meeting attended by Indian Americans representing prominent national and local Indian American organizations, Nikhil Joshi, Esq., member of the Hindu American Foundation (HAF, www.hinduamericanfoundation.org) Board of Directors, held discussions with Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R, FL) on Saturday, October 2, 2004, in Tampa, Florida. The meeting took on greater significance after an introduction of the congresswoman at the meeting as the incoming co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans.

Currently Chair of the Subcommittee on the Middle East and Central Asia, Rep. Ros-Lehtinen is widely considered to be one of the more influential members of the U.S. Congress to assume the co-chair position on the India caucus. The caucus currently contains more congressional members than any other caucus focused on a nation outside the United States.

Mr. Joshi used the occasion to apprise Rep. Ros-Lehtinen of the goals and mission of HAF, and specifically highlighted global Hindu human rights as an issue of concern to nearly all of the 2 million Hindu Americans in the United States. He also offered HAF as a resource for information on Hinduism, a liaison to the most prominent Hindu spiritual leaders, and as a source for position papers and briefs on global and domestic issues of concern to Hindu Americans.

“Congresswoman Ros-Lethtinen was very receptive to mission of HAF,” said Mr. Joshi following the visit. “We were especially pleased that the Congresswoman offered to work closely with HAF to advance its goals of eradicating the evils of terrorism and persecution against Hindus in many regions around the world,” Mr. Joshi added.

In a wide-ranging speech delivered to attendees following HAF’s meeting, Rep. Ros-Lehtinen reiterated her interest in HAF and Hindu human rights and discussed her previous co-sponsorship of House Resolution 352 that recognized the wide-ranging contributions of Indian-Americans and India’s own struggles against terrorism.

“With an organizational base in Florida, HAF is well-positioned to work with a India caucus chair from this state,” Mr. Joshi said. “We look forward to close interactions with Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen over the next year.”

Addressing a meeting of the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) on September 20, 2004, Mihir Meghani, M.D., President, Hindu American Foundation (HAF) (www.hinduamericanfoundation.org), highlighted the common values shared by the two communities and stressed the need for Hindus and Jews to work together to promote understanding, tolerance, and pluralism.

“Both communities are inspired by more than 5000-year-old heritages,” said Dr. Meghani in his address. “Family values, tolerance and acceptance of other religions, cultures, and customs are defining characteristics of the two,” he added.

Detailing some of the critical issues faced by the Hindu community in the United States and in India, Dr. Meghani discussed the increasing population of both Indian and non-Indian heritage Hindus in the United States and their efforts to add their voice to the American mainstream. This was contrasted to the recent census report from India that indicated negative demographic trends for Hindus in India.

“The declining number of Hindus in India owing to a slowed growth rate and dubious methods of conversion to other faiths is a phenomenon that will require careful analysis,” Dr. Meghani noted during his speech. He recognized the potentially similar consequences of demographic shifts faced by Jews in Israel and Hindus in India and the shared risks they face from hostile neighbors with long histories of terrorism.

Highlighting the inconspicuous influence Hindu Americans exercise over the portrayal and academic study of their religion in academia, Dr. Meghani indicated that his community had much to learn from the Jewish community in shaping their own narrative in American society. “The U.S. academia is not sensitive to Hindu concerns,” Dr. Meghani said. He added, “Hindu education is controlled today by a majority of academics who have no faith or abiding respect for the subtleties and traditions of the religion they profess to teach.”

In a letter appreciating Dr. Meghani’s remarks, the AJC Board wrote, “You spelled out the relevant data about the Indian community and filtered in several overviews which gave our Board a portrait of the central issues which are primary for the majority of Hindus and/or Indians.” The letter went on to reemphasize the shared commonalities, perspectives and challenges both communities face.

The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) (www.hinduamericanfoundation.org) attended the Religion Newswriters Association Annual Conference, held in Washington D.C. between September 10 and September 12, 2004. The conference, attended by editors and writers covering religion issues at over 100 newspapers and other media organizations, included representatives from the Washington Post, New York Times, Chicago Sun-Times, USA Today, San Francisco Chronicle, among many others.

HAF leaders said their attendance adhered to the organization’s mission to interact with academia, government and media to promote an accurate portrayal of Hinduism and to increase awareness of issues of concern to Hindu Americans. “We sought to introduce HAF to those people most likely to deal with religious issues at major media outlets,” explained Mr. Nikhil Joshi, Esq., member of the Hindu American Foundation Board of Directors. “I hope that we have positioned HAF as a professional, reliable and articulate resource for Hinduism and Hindu American interests, “Mr. Joshi added.

Representatives of organizations such as the Pew Charitable Trusts that guides policy discussions at various levels, as well as numerous publishing companies that produce books dealing with religious education also attended the meeting and met individually with HAF. “The response was, overall, very positive,” said Mihir Meghani, M.D., President of HAF. “We found that most newswriters and editors were very pleased to meet representatives for a religion they rarely cover and are admittedly unfamiliar with.”

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