#HinduVoicesMatter. THREAD on the #Hypocrisy of "freedom of expression" when applied to Hinduism, given the recent #KaaliPosterControversy. Let's see how other communities have objected to appropriations and disparaging of their religions without being gaslighted or gagged. 1/n
In 2018, a Sikh filmmaker withdrew a film on Guru Nanak ji after several Sikh bodies protested against the depiction of the founder of Sikhism in the film. No one gaslighted the Sikh community or gagged their voices. 2/n business-standard.com/article/pti-st…
In 2013, a Los Angeles bar was forced to remove pictures of Sikh Gurus after protests from the community. The management agreed to hand the pictures over to more respectful displays at a local Gurudwara. No "South Asian Scholar" or artist cried foul. 3/n indiatoday.in/featured/story…
In 2020, after 87 yrs, the NFL team f.k.a Washington Redskins changed their name to Washington Commanders after years of protests by indigenous groups. No one gaslighted these groups or cried "freedom of expression" but respected their concerns. 4/n abcnews.go.com/US/washington-…
Here is a video of how black and indigenous leaders banded together in Minnesota and pushed for the name change. Their concerns and rights were respected. They were not called "trolls" or other names. 5/n
2021 - indigenous groups called for a name change of Kansas City Chiefs. "The use of Native American imagery such as the arrowhead, the drum and the tomahawk chop does not honor Native American culture...Rather, they stereotype and misappropriate it." 6/n kansascitymag.com/news/native-am…
In 2020, @rihanna apologized for using an Islamic verse at the Fenty lingerie fashion show, saying that it was a "honest, yet careless mistake." (NOTE: She never apologized for sporting a Ganesha on her necklace or considered it a "careless mistake"). 7/n bbc.com/news/newsbeat-…
Hinduism deserves the same basic respect as other religions. Nothing more, nothing less. So, when artists, academics, "South Asian Scholars" decide to misappropriate, eroticize, disparage sacred art under freedom of expression,...8/n
...Hindus have an equal right to express their concerns without being shamed, gagged or gaslighted. 9/n #HinduVoicesMatter
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For #Hindus living in America, life changed a year ago as we woke up to the horror of #SB403. On March 22, @SenAishaWahab changed an innocuous ancestry bill to one that weaponized #caste, selectively singling out and profiling #Hinduism. 1/n
Ironically, we learnt about the changed bill from its #Hinduphobic co-sponsor #EqualityLabs. They shared the news in a press interview, BEFORE changes were even tabled in the #California Senate! Can there be stronger evidence of the #privilege & access this group enjoys? 2/n
Soon we'd see their raw hate for #Hinduism in an explosive @hinduoncampus video. The SB403 co-sponsor minced no words & spared nothing - #Yoga, #BhagavadGita, #Namaste, #Upanishads -nothing was safe. And California & @SenAishaWahab were ok with this 3/n
It's deeply disturbing to #HinduCanadians that publicly funded universities like @usask and @UofT would provide a platform to an openly #Hinduphobic individual, Mohammad Hijab. 1/n
As per @ncri_io's report on the Hinduphobic riots in Leicester, UK last year, Mohammad Hijab made derogatory comments about Hindus, saying: "If they (Hindus) believe in reincarnation, what a humiliation of them to be reincarnated into some pathetic, weak, cowardly people like that…I’d rather be reincarnated as a grasshopper." 2/n
He posted a photo on his Instagram, on the same day, where he was leading a mob; the photo was captioned: “Muslim patrol in Leicester”. 3/n
Delighted to see sanity prevail in #California. Thank you @GavinNewsom for vetoing #SB403. A victory for common sense, for American laws and a win for those who fought for #justice.” 1/n
Today is dedicated to the spirit of #MilindMakwana who will live on in our hearts for his dharma & sacrifice. 2/n
“This is a culmination of the efforts of the entire #HinduAmerican community, and the hundreds of organizations, temples, businesses, and allies that fought against #profiling. We rose above the lies, the insinuations, and the wild accusations - and we prevailed. Thank you! 🙏🏾3/n
Remember the case against @BAPS Hindu temple in 2021 that alleged "caste discrimination"?
#JUSTIN: A dozen artisans claim coercion, promise of US citizenship and large sums of money to testify against BAPS, are withdrawing the case.
In May 2021, a @nytimes article by @anniecorreal claimed "Hindu Sect Is Accused of Using Forced Labor to Build N.J. Temple" and that @BAPS "had exploited possibly hundreds of low-caste men in the yearslong construction project."
Two years later, this turned out to be a complete fabrication of events & attempt to defame the Hindu community.
In a letter filed July 13 in the Rajasthan High Court, the artisans stated that they were "pressured to join as plaintiffs in a civil complain in New Jersey court."
#BREAKING: 🧵A day of mixed emotions for the CoHNA family today. We are disappointed that CA lawmakers passed up a chance to #SayNoToHate and voted for a bill that still contains the #Hinduphobic word “caste.” Yet, we are also proud of the tireless grassroots work of our...1/n
...volunteers, other Hindu orgs and allies, which resulted in the CA Assembly Judiciary Committee voting on a bill that has been stripped of much of the outright xenophobic language of the original version. UNFORTUNATELY, the final nail in the coffin still remains...2/n
...and we intend to fully fight this all the way to the courts. No one said that this was going to be easy. 😀. BUT, let’s review how far we have come. 3/n
Disappointed to see @theJagmeetSingh conflate the Nazi #Hakenkreuz with the sacred #Swastika, perpetuating a colonial lie that demonises Hinduism. This is painful, especially given his Dharmik heritage.
The Swastika can be found in and around Gurdwaras in India.
(2/n)
What is more disappointing is that this isn’t the first time the NDP leader has helped in furthering this misinformation, which was promptly refuted by CoHNA.