Are all Hindus bad? The Council of World Religions seems to think so – based on their recent decision to reject a Hindu community event celebrated by Hindus from all across the United States, consisting of professors, doctors, entrepreneurs, teachers, lawyers and yoga teachers.
Rejecting a request from a coalition of over three hundred North American Hindu spiritual leaders, organizations, community leaders, and lay people, the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions (CPWR) refused yesterday to join Hindus in Chicago to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. The CPWR originally planned on being a co-sponsor of the celebration set for September 28, 2013, but then withdrew suddenly after receiving a complaint from an online based anti-Hindu group. The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) coordinated a letter requesting the CPWR to change course as local organizers worked towards reaching a compromise with CPWR, but the Parliament rejected the final requests late last night, prompting the only two Hindu members of the Parliament Board of Trustees to resign in protest today.
“At HAF, we are saddened that the Parliament, created in the very name of Swami Vivekananda, turned its back on the Hindu community and drew its own fault lines defining politics and religion,” said Suhag Shukla, HAF’s Executive Director. “The CPWR has decided to define political organizations arbitrarily, and must now take a hard look at every organization it has partnered with and that its trustees are associated with or represent.”
Shukla suggested that the CPWR immediately examine the ties Shaik Ubaid–the Muslim activist who claimed credit for forcing the Parliament to dissociate from the Chicago Hindu community in several Muslim media outlets– maintains within the Parliament leadership. Ubaid works closely with the CPWR Chairman of the Board, Imam Abdul Malik Mujahid, having co-founded a number of organizations and worked together in others.
In a major setback to the Parliament Board of Trustees, the only two Hindu trustees of the Parliament, Professor Anant Rambachan, Chair of the Department of Religion at St. Olaf’s College, and Ms. Anju Bhargava, Founder of Hindu American Seva Charities, resigned immediately after CPWR confirmed its unilateral decision to disengage from the community celebration.
“The decision to withdraw, made without consulting either one of us, has caused hurt and great disappointment across the Hindu world and especially here in the United States,” wrote Rambachan and Bhargava, in a letter released earlier today. “In spite of claiming neutrality, the Board chose to be influenced in its decision by giving credibility to complainants against its participation in the event and by showing no interest in considering or deliberating on the Hindu responses received.”
But while the CPWR boasted of a unanimous approval of its decision to refuse reversal, the resigning trustees also wrote, “We wish to clarify also that we did not participate in the Board meeting on September 24, 2013 when the Board approved its recently released resolution. For us, the heart of the matter is the Board’s unwillingness to consider any form of participation.”
“To completely ignore issues of fairness, transparency, and mutual respect raised by the Hindu community at large and the condescending tone of the announcement should call into question the Parliament’s ability to be a global leader in the interfaith movement,” said Mr. Pawan Deshpande, a member of HAF’s Executive Council. “Nonetheless, the silver lining in all of this is that it has brought together so many Hindus, across a broad spectrum of religious, cultural, and political backgrounds, to voice our collective concern.”
S.RAJASEKHARAN NAIR says
DEAR,
HOW CAN YOU HELP ME FOR GETTING THE ENDORSEMENT FOR MY NEW PRO GOD DISCOVERY ON GEOCENTRISM BY THE U.S.PRESIDENT SREE BARACK OBAMA?
THANK YOU.
S.RAJASEKHJARAN NAIR
Suresh Vyas says
The only universal religion for mankind is the Vedic dharma (also known as the Hindu, Sanaatan, or VarNaashrama dharma). That is why it is called dharma. It is not like Islam or Xianity that are organized and dogmatic.
Of the few religions the world has at this time,Islam is most intolerant and barbaric. It has no separation of church and state. It does not give freedom of thought, speech, and action. History shows that Islam and peace cannot coexist. So, then how a Muslim became president of the Parliament or Religions organization, and why a Hindu did not?
I think of following reasons:
1) The Vedic dharma does not tell followers to force conversion. Islam and Xianity has agenda co convert the whole world. Yes, we do not force, but we need to live per dharma and show good results to the world to attract them towards dharma.
2) Most Hindus incorrectly think that playing in politic is not good. So, they do not complete in politics and to gain position of power. This has to change, because they carry the most precious heritage of the Vedic dharma and sanskriti for the spiritual advancement of mankind. Two personaliites provide example to follow for other Hindus:
a. Bhagavav Kautilya also known as ChaNakya. He was a Brahmin, but entered politics and toppled the asiric dynasty of Dhananjay and throned a sura Chandragupta. He did it so that the country and people live in peace and prosper under a sura king.
b. Baba Ramdev. He is a sanyasi, and entered politics because he saw the political power has gone in the hands of asuras who do not care about dharma,or the Vedic raashtra, or the Bhaaratiyas. External anti-vedic forces are controlling these asura leaders.
The Hindu leaders and also the Hindus need to understand dharma as it is described in Bhagavad Gita by Bhagavan Krishna, and live per it. Then only they will get inspiration to compete in politics and other fields to serve the Vedic interests. — No one can be out of politics because everyone is under a government – a political system. It is part of life. If the sura Hindus do not play in politics, the asura will get power in politics and rule over the suras. Every PuraNic story is about the wars between suras and asuras, and the suras win (because they act to defeat the asuras). — Politics by itself is not bad. The asuras play bad (unrighteous) politics, the Hindu suras need to play good (righteous) politics, just as ChaNakya did, and Baba Ramdev does.
Any powers Hindus get, they need to be used to serve the interest of Vedic dharma, sanskriti, and raashtra. It is unspiritual to use power to use for to serve just the selfish interests.
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There is need to objectively compare religions to figure which religion is better than other. When done, the found truth need to be shared with the world. When the voters know it, they will not elect a follower of a barbaric religion as president or leader or an organization. Below link provides an objective method or finding which religion is better than other.
http://skanda987.wordpress.com/2011/06/15/religions-and-religious-freedom/
jai sri krishna!
-sv