Why attacks on Hindus are on a rise in the US

There is no one single factor leading to the recent attacks on the Hindu community in the United States, in fact several sociopolitical and economic factors can be attributed to the recent rise in anti-Hindu sentiments. Americans watching in horror as their citizens are beheaded could be a cause of anger towards certain groups; a general lack of awareness about Hinduism as a religion can be seen as one of the leading causes of vandalism on religious places of worship. Also, growing disparity could have led to economic hatred alongside religious intolerance to give rise to feelings of hatred and jealousy against Hindu minorities. I can recall an incident from 2007 when thousands of emails were sent out by Christians groups against Hindu prayers in the US senate. Due to lack of awareness and logical reasoning in the matters pertaining to religious faiths and cultural traditions, many Indian-Americans have repeatedly found themselves at the receiving end in the nation, where the constitution also upholds freedom to practice one’s own religious beliefs. This is evident in the way Sikhs were mistaken as Arabs after the 9/11 incident and targeted by the majority communities.

Even though America is home to very successful Indian-Americans — more than 50,000 physicians, over 5,000 tenured professors and many motel owners in smaller towns; the level of ignorance among other communities has remained over the years. Historically speaking, students and physicians who have stayed back in the US for several generations now, see temples not just as places of worship but also view them as platforms to let their children stay connected to their cultural roots. One reason for the rise in temples across the US is also the diversity within the various deities and forms of worship practiced by the Hindus across the globe. While a temple gives the younger generation a snapshot of their rich cultural heritage, it might lead to feelings of insecurities and fear. For instance, large gatherings of the Hindu followers ahead of a major festival such as Mahashivratri might be a cause of concern for people of other religious faiths. This can only be combated by spreading the real message of the religion and its basic festivals such as Diwali, Mahshivratri and Holi. Although President Obama celebrated Diwali at the White House last year, we hope the values and ethos of Hinduism are also well understood by the Americans to up their own level of religious tolerance.

In my view, initiatives can be taken as a community to spread awareness about the religion and its true values:

#1. Law enforcement: Federal Bureau of Investigation and the department of justice should treat this as a hate crime.

#2. President Obama who visited India last month should also make a statement on the recent attacks on the Hindu minorities in the US. He has the biggest megaphone and he needs to address it.

#3. At the school level, we must introduce curriculum to build awareness about different religious practices and beliefs, so that atleast there is a peaceful dialogue with a logical mind than resort to vandalism in the face of intolerance and extremist ideas.

#4. Indian communities must also partake in educating their neighbours about their cultural values and ethos. It is important that the significance behind celebrating festivals or carrying out basic rituals is well understood and respected in a cross-cultural environment.

#5. When President Obama talks about promoting tourism, he must also send out a clear message that people with no knowledge of English should be treated wither respect and dignity by fellow Americans. Hailing form a culture where a guest is akin to God, any form of violence meted out to Indians in the US is uncalled for.