HinduPACT

Tag: academic hinduphobia

  • HinduPACT Thanks Wayne State President for Censuring Hinduphobic Professor Khaled Beydoun, Requests Stronger Action

    HinduPACT Thanks Wayne State President for Censuring Hinduphobic Professor Khaled Beydoun, Requests Stronger Action

    WASHINGTON, D.C – Hindu Policy Research and Advocacy Collective (HinduPACT) is thankful to Wayne State President M. Roy Wilson for his decision to censure Professor Khaled Beydoun for his targeted hate against Hindus and calls for greater action to be taken.

    Beydoun, a professor of law at Wayne State has repeatedly fomented violence against Hindus through his instigative social media posts. 

    In April 2020, Beydoun shared a still from the Bollywood film titled “Parzania” and falsely claimed that this was evidence that a Hindu organization was targeting Muslims in India.

    In April 2019, Beydoun allegedly plagiarized content from a New Zealand journalist and circulated misinformation about the victims of the Christchurch Mosque shooting to spread misinformation about the attack.

    Later that month, Beydoun was among several people to put out an ad for a free trip to New Zealand in which one person would be selected among all the submissions to meet the families of the victims of the Christchurch Mosque shooting and go on a tour of the mosques that were shot up; a move that was heavily criticized by fellow Muslims.

    HinduPACT Executive Director Utsav Chakrabarti said,

    “There is a pattern of targeted hate against Hindus emerging from some individuals. Beydoun, along with journalist CJ Werleman – an anti-Semtic supporter of banned terror group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda) – has also given multiple statements similar in nature. Rutgers University Professor Audrey Truschke, University of California faculty Huma Dar and Columbia University Professor Manan Ahmed Asif, have also been identified by members of the American Hindu communities as regularly spreading disinformation and hate against Hindus and India.”

    We hope that exemplary disciplinary action will be taken against a repeat offender like Khaled Beydoun. We also hope that the University will ensure that a public apology will be issued by Mr Beydoun, as early as possible to ensure that Wayne State suffers no further erosion of trust and credibility.

     

  • HinduPACT Calls for Cancellation of Hinduphobic Conference in Toronto

    HinduPACT Calls for Cancellation of Hinduphobic Conference in Toronto

    The Hindu community of Canada has recently become aware that the Ryerson University and the Toronto Public Library have joined hands in holding an event on December 9, titled “Modi’s India: How Hindu Nationalism has Eroded the World’s Largest Democracy”

    We are deeply alarmed at this attempt by two publicly funded institutions in Canada to allow their platform to be used to spread a false and concocted narrative about the vibrant democracy of India, a country with which a vast majority of the Hindu Canadians have deep emotional ties. This is nothing short of an attempt to promote a hateful and denigrating narrative against the Hindu community in the guise of sanctimonious pontification on India’s democracy.

    The Hindu Canadians are a peaceful community, living in harmony with the society at large and making outsized contributions to all facets of Canadian life.

    However, they are extremely concerned that such a malicious event, if allowed to go forward, will promote an atmosphere of hatred against them, and as such, represents a potential risk to their material and physical well-being. The Indophobia and Hinduphobia created by events such as this have led to bullying against Hindu and Indians in schools and colleges and physical violence against Indians and Hindus in North America as evident by violent gangs like Dotbusters in the 1980s and recent attack on a Hindu man of Indian origin in Kansas, USA

    We, therefore, demand that:

    1. This event must be cancelled immediately.

    2. Ryerson University and Toronto Public Library issue an immediate apology to the Hindu community for the anguish caused by this blatantly Hinduphobic event

    3. The University and the Library set up a program to train their employees and students to understand India, Hindu Dharma and Hindu culture to make them more religio-culturally sensitive.

    Please Sign the Petition to Demand that this Event be Cancelled

    Please 

  • Sign HMEC Letter Against Dismantling Global Hindutva Conference

    Sign HMEC Letter Against Dismantling Global Hindutva Conference

    HMEC Letter to the Sponsor Universities Requesting that they Disavow Dismantling Global Hindutva Event

    Namaste,

    On behalf of Hindu Mandir Executives’ Conference (HMEC) we would like to draw your attention to an online seminar that is being sponsored by dozens of Universities across the US. The event titled “Dismantling Global Hindutva (Hinduness)” is timed to happen from September 10-12. Many of the organizers are neither Hindus nor of Indian origin.

    Hindutva is Hindu + Tattva, or essence of Hindu dharma.  It is a manifestation of Hindu dharma in our daily lives inspiring us to reach out in compassion to all creatures beyond our individual selves.  There is, however, a concerted effort to malign this term and under its  guise to attack Hindus.   For example, the previous attempt in this series was, “Holi Against Hindutva” on campuses two years ago.  The same group is already contemplating, “Diwali Against Hindutva”.

    This attack on Hindutva is along the lines of various attempts to divide American Hindus based on “caste”.  You may recall that in the previous HMEC meeting, we discussed:

    1. “Caste as a Protected Class,” resolution in Santa Clara County, California, and
    1. Unfounded allegations of caste based discrimination against BAPS Robbinsville, NJ mandir. As the campuses have become more Hinduphobic, we have seen an increase in bullying and racist attacks on American Hindus and Indian immigrant youth.

    It is shocking that the “Dismantling Global Hindutva” event is supposedly sponsored by forty-five Universities and/or various departments or institutes within these universities.  The Universities are supposed to be space spaces for Hindu youth.  However, there is no question that this conference will make it much less safe for them.

    As a mandir, you play a pivotal role in the society.  You are the center of our community activities.  Due to the First Amendment to the US constitution, this Hinduphobic conference will probably take place as planned. We believe that the Mandirs under the banner of HMEC will be able to diminish the impact of this conference by asking the universities, their departments and their institutions to disavow this conference.

    We therefore have two requests for you:

    1. Please sign this collective letter on behalf of your temple or as a temple leader.  The letter is available at: https://hmec.info/hmecletter
    2. We have a list of Universities and Departments who are co-sponsoring this event. Reach out to the University nearest to you.  Help them understand the gravity of the damage this event will cause and dissuade them from co-sponsoring the event.

    We look forward to working with you to do outreach to the co-host University nearest to you.
    You can reach us at tejal.shah@vhp-america.org at call Ajay Shah at 858-866-9661

    Thanking you in advance,

    Tejal Shah
    Jt. General Secretary

    Convenor, Hindu Mandir Executives’ Conference

    World Hindu Council of America (VHPA)

    On behalf of Hindu Mandir Executives’ Conference (HMEC), representing more than  600 temples and religious institutions across USA and Canada, we, the undersigned, demand that your University disavow the event titled “Dismantling Global Hindutva (Hinduness)”.

     

    The word Hindutva translates -as Hindu + Tattva, or essence of Hindu dharma.  It is a manifestation of Hindu dharma in our daily lives inspiring us to reach out in compassion to all creatures beyond our individual selves.  There is, however, a concerted effort to malign this term and under its guise to attack Hindus.

     

    The word Hindutva, as defined by the Supreme Court of India (Ramesh Yeshwant Prabhoo case [1996 SCC (1) 130]) means:

    “The words ‘Hinduism’ or ‘Hindutva’ are not necessarily to be understood and construed narrowly, confined only to the strict Hindu religious practices unrelated to the culture and ethos of the people of India, depicting the way of life of the Indian people.”

    […]

    “Considering the terms ‘Hinduism’ or ‘Hindutva’ per se as depicting hostility, enmity or intolerance towards other religious faiths or professing communalism, proceeds from an improper appreciation and perception of the true meaning of these expressions emerging from the detailed discussion in earlier judgments of this court. Misuse of these expressions to promote communalism cannot alter the true meaning of these terms. The mischief resulting from the misuse of the terms by anyone in his speech has to be checked and not its permissible use.”

    It is shocking that the “Dismantling Global Hindutva” event is being co-sponsored by your university or a department or institute within your university.  It is important to note that many of the organizers have expressed virulent anti-Hindu views in the past.   A reasonable conclusion, therefore, is that this conference intends to further their Hinduphobic views.

     

    The universities are supposed to be safe spaces for Hindu Youth and youth of any religious persuasion or no religious affiliation at all.  However, there is no question that this conference will make American Hindu students and Indian immigrants much more susceptible to violent racism. Considering increased violence against American Hindus and Indian immigrants in the US, there is an increased need to bring about harmony among Americans belonging to various faiths and ethnicities. This conference in contrast, promotes anti-Hindu hatred, with a clear objective to vilify Indian immigrants who do not subscribe to the theological and ideological bent of the hosts and their backers.

     

    We expect that your institution will immediately disassociate itself from this event and reassure the Hindu students, faculty and staff that your institution is a safe space for all religious minorities.

    HMEC Mandir / Hindu Organizations Dismantling Global Hindutva Letter
    Letter to the Universities Supposedly Co-Sponsoring Dismantling Global Hindutva Conference Asking them to Disavow the Event
  • Request Universities to Disavow Hate Event “Dismantling Global Hindutva”

    Request Universities to Disavow Hate Event “Dismantling Global Hindutva”

    American Hindus Against Defamation / HinduPACT Petition Against “Dismantling Hindutva” Sponsorship of Event

    We request you to take immediate action to prevent vilification and intimidation of students, faculty of Hindu heritage as well as those of Indian origin under the guise of an event titled, “Dismantling Hindutva,” supposedly cosponsored by your institution. The word Hindutva, as defined by the Supreme Court of India (Ramesh Yeshwant Prabhoo case [1996 SCC (1) 130]) means:

    “The words ‘Hinduism’ or ‘Hindutva’ are not necessarily to be understood and construed narrowly, confined only to the strict Hindu religious practices unrelated to the culture and ethos of the people of India, depicting the way of life of the Indian people.”

    […]

    “Considering the terms ‘Hinduism’ or ‘Hindutva’ per se as depicting hostility, enmity or intolerance towards other religious faiths or professing communalism, proceeds form an improper appreciation and perception of the true meaning of these expressions emerging from the detailed discussion in earlier judgments of this court. Misuse of these expressions to promote communalism cannot alter the true meaning of these terms. The mischief resulting from the misuse of the terms by anyone in his speech has to be checked and not its permissible use.”

    […]

    “It is a fallacy and an error of law to proceed on the assumption that any reference to Hindutva or Hinduism in a speech makes it automatically a speech based on the Hindu religion as opposed to other religions or that the use of words ‘Hindutva’ or ‘Hinduism’ per se depicts an attitude hostile to all persons practising any religion other than the Hindu religion.”

    […]

    We believe that this event is being timed to take attention away from the tragic events unfolding in Afghanistan and the larger region.  At a time when many Hindus in America are working hard to address the issue of persecuted religious minorities, facing an existential threat in Afghanistan, this event targeting Hindus is aimed to distract from the critical humanitarian work that is the need of the hour.

    American Hindus are also focused on highlighting the plight of Hindu girls in Sindh, Pakistan.  For decades, on an average, three girls a day, some as young as 12-years of age are abducted, forcibly converted and married off to Muslim men decades older than them.  This campaign named CHINGARI, Coalition for Hindu Girls Abducted and their Rights has been gaining tremendous momentum.  We believe that many of the organizers of “Dismantling Hindutva” are aligned with the perpetrators of these heinous acts and their enablers, who want to divert the attention from increasing awareness about this human rights issue.

    We expect that your institution will immediately disassociate itself from this event and reassure the Hindu students, faculty and staff that your institution is a safe space for all  religious minorities.

  • AHAD Webinar Hindudvesha – Systemic Hinduphobia in School Textbooks

    AHAD Webinar Hindudvesha – Systemic Hinduphobia in School Textbooks

    Systemic Hinduphobia, Hindudvesha is systematized and institutionalized in school textbooks, not only in the USA but also around the world, including India itself. It deeply impacts our younger generation, who are taught that Hinduism is backward, hierarchical and guilty of oppression from time immemorial. In this webinar we will look at why this is, what to do about it, and whether we are having any success in impacting this situation.

    Panelists: Prof Kundan Singh and Krishna Maheshwari

    Registration: Click Here

  • Dr. Jai Bansal Interviewed by TAG TV on “Curbing Hinduphobia in U.S., Canada, EU and Worldwide (Hindudvesha)-Dr Jai Bansal with Haleema Sadia”

  • Hindudvesha – Systemic Hinduphobia Webinar : The Colonial Roots of Hindudvesha

    Hindudvesha – Systemic Hinduphobia Webinar : The Colonial Roots of Hindudvesha

    The Colonial Roots of Hindudvesha – When did it start ? Who started it ?
    In this Webinar, we will be exploring the genealogy of Hindudvesha. While Hindudvesha goes far back into history, we will pick up an important thread with the writings from the British Colonial era which set in motion a certain narrative about the Hindu civilization. We will look at how the “Ruler’s Gaze” of the British era distorted not only their perception of the Hindu world, but also our own, and what consequences those colonial era writings continue to have on our own self-understanding, today?

    We hope you will be able to join for this webinar on February 28th 2021, at 5 PM PST/8 PM EST

    Click here to register

  • AHAD and Dharma Civilization Foundation Premier of Webinar Series on Hindudvesha (Systemic Hinduphobia).

    The slides presented at the AHAD and Dharma Civilization Foundation Premier of Webinar Series on Hindudvesha (Systemic Hinduphobia) on January 24. 2021.

     

    Hindudvesha-Systemic-Hinduphobia-January-24-2021-Webinar

  • AHAD and Dharma Civilization Foundation Premier of Webinar Series on Hindudvesha (Systemic Hinduphobia) Seminar #1

    AHAD and Dharma Civilization Foundation Premier of Webinar Series on Hindudvesha (Systemic Hinduphobia) Seminar #1

    Watch the premier of American Hindus Against Defamation (AHAD) and Dharma Civilization webinar series on Hindudvesha or Systemic Hinduphopbia where the speakers give an overview of various aspects of systemic Hinduphobia.

  • AHAD and Dharma Civilization Foundation Premier of Webinar Series on Hindudvesha (Systemic Hinduphobia) Seminar #1

    Watch the premier of American Hindus Against Defamation (AHAD) and Dharma Civilization webinar series on Hindudvesha or Systemic Hinduphopbia where the speakers give an overview of various aspects of systemic Hinduphobia.