Thread by @CoHNAOfficial

It is indeed horrific that SIX #HinduTemples have been vandalized or burgled in the Greater Toronto area (GTA), Ontario, Canada in the last few weeks. The CoHNA Canada team has called the temples as well, amidst this atmosphere of fear 1/n
hindustantimes.com/world-news/can…

There have been incidents/attempts like this in the past, but this time it seems like a rampage - resulting in much trauma among the #Hindu community in #Canada. January 16, saw a failed break-in at Shri Hanuman Mandir in Brampton. 2/n

January 25-Mata Chintapurni Mandir in Brampton was broken into. More such incidents occurred at the Sri Gauri Shankar Mandir and Jaganath temple, also in Brampton, in the following days. 3/n

January 30 - vandals broke into the Hindu Heritage Centre, Missisuaga. Large amounts of donations were stolen from two donation boxes and the office. Vandals next struck at the Hamilton Samaj Mandir in Hamilton. 4/n

The release from the Hindu Heritage Centre in Mississauga said, “Peel Police have confirmed to Hindu Heritage Centre that it is the same group of individuals who are breaking into temples early morning.” 5/n

Hate crime against Hindus in Canada is not new. Earlier incidents of hate crime against Hindus include burning down of the Hindu Samaj Mandir in Hamilton, Ontario - in the post 9/11 era, and vandalism in 2013 at Laxmi Narayan Mandir in Surrey, British Columbia. 6/n

Destruction & looting of Hindu temples is sadly not new to Hindu society, which has suffered 1000+ years of colonial trauma and continued #Hinduphobia. 250+ temples were vandalized in Bangladesh in 2021 alone. Mandirs in Pakistan are also frequent targets.timesnownews.com/international/…

Mandirs provide Hindus a sense of community and a safe space which is being increasingly violated - the inevitable result of normalizing hate against Hindu symbols, epics, rituals and beliefs - often by academics at prestigious universities. Eg @dghconference. 8/n

Last year 150 temples and community organizations had tried to warn of the real-life consequences of the singling out and mainstreaming hate against an indigenous minority faith under the cover of academia. 9/n cohna.org/org-letter-dgh…

“I feel scared when preparing for early morning prayer & keep looking around to make sure no one is there.” said the pandit of HHC, Mississauga. With #Hinduphobia & anti-Asian hate on the rise, CoHNA urges government agencies & law enforcement to guarantee safety of its Hindus