A prominent Indian-American lawmaker has introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives condemning Hinduphobia, and other hate crimes against the community.
The resolution, that Congressman Shri Thanedar introduced on Wednesday, reads that Hindu Americans face stereotypes and disinformation about their heritage and symbols, and have been the targets of bullying in schools and on college campuses, as well as discrimination and hate speech.
“…the House of Representatives— (1)celebrates the contributions of Hindus and Hinduism to the United States of America; (2)declares the United States as a place that welcomes the diversity brought by Hindu Americans; (3)condemns Hinduphobia, anti-Hindu bigotry and hate, and intolerance; and (4)makes appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the public and the press,” the resolution read.
Anti-Hindu Hate crimes
The resolution has been referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability. This resolution comes as anti-Hindu hate crimes targeting mandirs and persons are annually on the rise while in parallel Hinduphobia in American society is unfortunately rising, the resolution said.
Underlining that the country has welcomed more than four million Hindus from all corners of the world since the 1900s, representing diverse racial, linguistic, and ethnic backgrounds, the resolution asserts that the country has greatly benefited from contributions by Hindu Americans in every aspect of the nation’s economy and every industry.
About a fortnight ago, Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ro Khanna, Thanedar, Ami Bera and Pramila Jayapal had written to the Department of Justice to request a briefing from them on the status of probe concerning an alarming increase in incidents of vandalism at houses of worship across the country including at Hindu temples, to better understand existing law enforcement coordination between all agencies.
Attacks on Temples
“Attacks at mandirs from New York to California have contributed to increased collective anxiety among Hindu Americans. Leaders from these impacted communities have expressed there are unfortunately “no leads” on suspects, leaving many to continue to live in fear and intimidation. Our communities remain concerned about law enforcement coordination regarding these bias-motivated crimes, and they are left wondering if there is appropriate federal oversight to ensure equal protection under the law,” said the letter dated March 29.
“The number of incidents and the closeness of the timing of incidents raise troubling questions about linkages and the intent behind them. It takes relatively few coordinated acts of hate to create fear nationally within a community that has often been marginalised or neglected, and we must work collaboratively to combat hate against all religious, ethnic, racial, and cultural minorities in America. “We therefore request that you provide us with an understanding of what the Department’s strategy is specifically concerning hate crimes targeting Hindus in the United States,” said the letter.
(With agency inputs)
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