Following a request by CAIRNational, and Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) for a federal investigation into Hindu temples and community organizations serving Hindu immigrants in New York and New Jersey, the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), has strongly condemned what it describes as “the latest escalation of threats and scare tactics.”
The latest letter by these Muslim civil rights organizations and their partner groups on August 17, 2024, has targeted Federation of Indian Associations (FIA); Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA); Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS); and Swaminarayan Temple for a “possible violation of Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).” They accused these Hindu organizations of “failing to register as foreign agents and disclosing their activities in working for the Indian Government and the BJP party.”
The letter, addressed to Attorney General Merrick Garland, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen, Attorney General of New York Letitia James, United States Attorney for Southern District of NY Damian Williams, Mayor Eric Adams, and FBI Director Christopher Wray, has formally requested the officials to launch immediate federal and state investigations into the Consulate General of India in New York City “for its involvement in bringing a hate-filled, divisive and Islamophobic float to an India Day Parade, scheduled for August 18, 2024.”
The dispute arose when CAIRNational, IAMC, and other groups demanded the removal of a float celebrating the re-opening of the Sri Ram temple from FIA’s 40th Annual India Day parade on August 18th in New York City, labeling it “Islamophobic.”
In response, HAF, a civil rights NGO working to protect the dignity and rights of Hindu Americans, on August 17th, claimed that these organizations – after failing to get the float removed – are resorting to “scare tactics.” As such, HAF has urged the NYC Mayor, the Justice Department, Attorney General James, and FBI Director Wray to condemn the “Hinduphobic,” act stemming from a local dispute over a parade float.
On August 16th, HAF wrote to Mayor Adams and New York City Police Commissioner Edward Caban, defending the Lord Ram parade float and asking them to allow it on August 18th. HAF’s letter to them noted, “Decisions around permit requirements must also be based on objective criteria and not by the content of expression.”
In discussing the history of the Sri Rama temple, the letter highlighted that the temple is situated at the birthplace of Sri Ram, who has been revered for thousands of years by Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs as a symbol of human virtue and “manifestation of the Divine.”
“Celebrating the birthplace of a revered deity is in no way an offense to any other religious community; to suggest otherwise is to insinuate that diverse cultures, faiths, and backgrounds cannot coexist in peace, which is the very foundation of our vibrant and secular nation,” it further noted. “Those demanding the float’s removal have conveniently omitted important historical context, distorting the sacred site’s history in furtherance of their aims,” added the letter. “They fail to mention the well-documented archaeological evidence and historical records showing the site’s continuous sacred use by Hindus and adherents of other Dharma traditions since the second millennia.”
The “right to expression,” is deeply intertwined with the right to religious freedom, emphasized the letter. The Sri Rama temple float provides a platform to honor Sri Ram and his life, as told in the Ramayana, an influential work in the history of ancient India and beyond.
Therefore, the letter concluded that considering attempts to unfairly politicize a “longstanding celebration of Indian Americans, Indian Independence, and Indian culture,” urging the authorities to provide additional precautions be taken to ensure the safety of everyone hosting and attending the parade.
The parade will showcase hundreds of floats, and include appearances of Bollywood stars including Sonakshi Sinha, Pankaj Tripathi, and Manoj Tiwari, as well as notable political and religious figures.
