Letters to the Editor: Hindus against hate

Sadly, as we write this letter, we are seeing increasing violence against our Muslim siblings in India, carried out in the name of our faith.

As representatives of diverse Hindu traditions with deep histories, we are dismayed to see Hindu leaders in India and abroad openly embracing Hindutva — a century-old political ideology that sees citizens of other faiths as inherently foreign and not qualified to enjoy the full benefits of Indian citizenship. The images and videos of saffron-clad sadhus, sadhvis, and swamis calling for genocidal violence against millions of Indian Muslims in December 2021 are a chilling sight that we cannot ignore. And since the so-called “Dharma Sansad” in Haridwar, we have seen Muslim women put up for “auction” on an app created by college students, and hijab-wearing Muslim girls being denied their right to equal education in Karnataka.

The time is long overdue for Hindus around the world to break our collective silence and speak out against this hate that violates the deepest teachings of our tradition.

Some may wonder: why are we speaking about Indian Muslims when we know Hindus are under attack in other countries? Our answer is clear: the only way we can break the cycles of religious violence across South Asia is if we stand up for each other’s right to thrive and live with dignity. Violence against Hindus and other minorities in countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh does not, in any way, justify violence against Muslims and other minorities in India.

By signing this letter, we pledge:

• To speak out against anti-Muslim words and actions whenever they show up in our communities;
• To build and strengthen relationships with Muslim neighbours, leaders and institutions in our communities;
• To keep our temples and homes open to all, irrespective of religious background;
• To commit to the teachings of religious freedom and social justice at the heart of our traditions that challenge notions of religious nationalism, casteism, and hatred for our brothers and sisters of other traditions.

Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.

Om Peace, Peace, Peace.

Organizations:

1. Aryasamaj Mandir (Amritpuri, New Delhi)
2. Bhaktiversity (Delhi)
3. Global Naitik Shiksha Kendra (Delhi/Mathura)
4. Hindu Temple Society of New Mexico (Albuquerque)
5. Institute of Living Universal Values, Ramakrishna Vedanta (Fort Collins, CO)
6. Matri Sadan Ashram (Haridwar, India)
7. Mindful Meditation Yoga (Naperville, IL)
8. Purple Pundit Project (New York, NY)
9. Ramakrishna Institute of Spirituality & Hinduism (RISHI) (Pretoria, South Africa)
10. Sarva Dharma Sadbhav Trust (Ayodhya)
11. Shaanti Bhavan Mandir (Queens, NY)
12. Shridevi Arts (New York)
13. Sifting to the Truth (Brooklyn, NY)
14. Spirit of Love (Azusa, California)
15. United Madrassi Association, Inc. (Jamaica, NY)

Individuals: 

(Institutional affiliation is provided for identification purposes only and does not constitute institutional endorsement)