Kashmiris meeting Guru Tegh Bahadurji to ask for help against forced conversions by the Islamic Mughal emperor

(CHAKRA) Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur is a religious observance for the Sikhism followers. Sikhism followers remember the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur on November 24. He was beheaded as he refused to be forced to accept Islam as his religion and now stands as an example of freedom of choosing each one’s religion. Guru Tegh Bahdur Martyrdom Day is one of the ten most important festivals observed by all Sikhs. Like in the other festivals it is custom for all Sikhs in a community to organize a procession, a Prabhat Pherys, where the Panj Pyares lead the procession and are followed by musicians, dancers and gatka teams performing martial arts.

Guru Tegh Bahadur became the 9th Guru of Sikhi on 20 March 1665 ,  following in the footsteps of his grand-nephew, Guru Har Krishan. Guru Tegh Bahadur was executed on the orders of Islamic Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in Delhi

In 1675, some Kashmiris  sought Guru Tegh Bahadur’s help. The Mughal emperor was forcibly converting them to Islam under the threat of torturous death. Even though the Guru followed a different faith than many other Kashmiris, he believed in everyone’s right to practice one’s own religion freely, a core principle of his Sikh faith. The same principle is now espoused in the First Amendment (1791) to the U. S. Constitution, allowing free exercise of religion.

The Guru advised theKashmiris to tell the emperor that they would embrace Islam if the Guru did so. He also encouraged people of all faiths to stand up to oppression and practice their faiths freely without fear. One of the Guru’s hymns says: Neither frighten anyone, nor be frightened (translated from Siri Guru Granth Sahib).

As anticipated, the Guru was arrested. When lavish incentives and extreme threats failed to sway the Guru and his companion Sikhs, the Sikhs were burnt alive, boiled alive and sawed alive in front of the Guru by Muslims. On still refusing to waver from his principle, the Guru himself was martyred.

(from left to right) HAF members Jay Kansara, Waytha Moorthy, Dr. Ramesh Rao

(CHAKRA) Continuing to generate awareness of the human rights violations faced by Hindus, Christians, and other ethnic minority groups in Malaysia, the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) sponsored a Congressional briefing, Institutionalized Racism and Religious Discrimination in Malaysia, yesterday, featuring exiled Malaysian Hindu civil rights leader, Waytha Moorthy, and Dr. Ramesh Rao, HAF’s Human Rights Coordinator. The briefing, held in the House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing room in the Rayburn House Office Building, was attended by congressional staffers, think tank and human rights activists, and embassy officials.

Mr. Moorthy began by describing Malaysia’s Bumiputra (Sons of the Soil) policies, enshrined in Article 153 of the Federal Constitution, which provide economic and social benefits to ethnic Muslim Malay citizens, while explicitly discriminating against minorities. He continued by pointing out that despite a parallel secular judicial system, religious minorities are increasingly subjected to Islamic law through the Sharia (Islamic law) courts. Moorthy also touched on the countless ethnic Indian Malaysians that have been denied citizenship and legal documents by the government, in spite of having longstanding roots in Malaysia dating back several generations. As a consequence, they have been unable to obtain driver’s licenses or passports, acquire property, attend school, and seek medical care, rendering them virtually stateless.

“Article 153 is a deep-rooted racist provision in the Constitution which sanctions implementation of all racist policies in Malaysia to the disadvantage of the minority non-Malay population,” said Moorthy. “The Government has on many occasions threatened the use of the draconian Internal Security Act to detain anyone who questions Article 153. The current Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers on previous occasions openly threatened non-Malays with violence should this provision be questioned.”

Moorthy is the founder of the the Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF), a human rights group that organized a peaceful rally of more than 50,000 in 2007, protesting the country’s persecution of ethnic Indians and Hindus. The Malaysian security forces responded brutally, and Moorthy was jailed, along with hundreds of other protesters. His passport was subsequently revoked by the Malaysian government and he has since been living in exile in London, where he continues to build awareness about the dire situation in Malaysia.

In addition to the briefing, Moorthy, accompanied by HAF’s Associate Director, Jay Kansara, met with staffers from ten House and Senate offices, which included key subcommittees, the Tom Lantos Commission on Human Rights, as well as the State Department. They also met with senior staffers at the American Jewish Committee. Following his meetings, Moorthy addressed a group of students, professors, and the general public in a presentation hosted by the Sanatana Satsang at the University of Maryland, College Park.

“I thank HAF for organizing the Congressional briefing and arranging meetings with staff members of strategic offices. Malaysia has the hallmark of a racist state and this has been virtually ignored by the international community,” said Moorthy. “The state control of government administration, educational institutions, and economic programs are designed to favor and enrich the majority Malay Muslim community. Indians and other minorities, who have been living in Malaysia for generations before independence, should be treated as equals and be enabled to participate in mainstream Malaysian society.”

The Foundation’s annual human rights report highlights the discrimination faced by Malaysian Hindus in a number of arenas, from the education system to limited economic and social advancement opportunities. The Malay government has also sanctioned the destruction of temples and monuments and tolerated acts of intimidation and violence towards minority communities.

“If Malaysia wishes to be a part of today’s global economy they must amend policies that leave their citizens economically disadvantaged due to race and religion,” said Rao, “We urge the State Department and Congress to engage their Malaysian counterparts to uphold democratic values. This is imperative if the United States’ stance on freedom of religion and human rights for all is not to be jeopardized in Southeast Asia, and to ensure that the seeds of religious extremism are not planted in Malaysia.”

For more information on the institutionalized racism and religious discrimination affecting Hindus and other minorities in Malaysia, please refer to HAF’s annual human rights report.

This century, the word ‘K’ has dominated India in the arenas of Business, Government and especially Television. But only one ‘K’ shook India within hours – “Kasab”, the only surviving terrorist of 26/11. On the night of November 26, 2008 a war against India was waged which went on till the afternoon of November 29. Only Kasab was captured alive while the other nine terrorists were killed by the security forces. The Kasab trial went on for two years before a death sentence was passed to him on five counts of murder, conspiracy to murder, waging war against the country, abetting murder and indulging in terrorist activities, on the 6th of May, 2010. Kasab was also awarded life imprisonment on five other counts, which included attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy and violation of the Explosive Substances Act. Under the law, death sentence awarded to an accused by trial court comes up before the high court for confirmation. The High Court confirmed the order passed by the trial court on 21st February 2011.

Until the verdict was passed, during the two years, there was a huge uproar among the Indians which was justified. A national newspaper reported that “The cash-strapped Congress-led Democratic Front government in Maharashtra has been spending well over Rs 2 lakh a day on India’s priciest prisoner”. (http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2010-05-05/news/27590949_1_arthur-road-jail-ajmal-kasab-jail-premises)

The Government of India gets money in the form of taxes paid by the citizens of India. The people were infuriated as to why their money was being spent for the protection and treatment of a perpetrator when there was enough evidence against him in the form of CCTV camera footage. The world witnessed the worst form of fear during 9/11. Osama did not go unpunished. He was brutally killed by the American Security Forces in Abbotabad, Pakistan. Don’t we wonder why Osama wasn’t given a chance to be tried by the American Jury? Then why is the Indian Government treating the Kasab issue so lightly? Shouldn’t he be dealt with in the same way the Americans dealt with their terrorist? But our Government claims that they are happy that Kasab was tried in a normal court of law and then given the death sentence. In a way, our democratic spirit is being enshrined.

Even though there was a sense of relief amongst the country and the families of those who were killed in the attack, when the death sentence was passed, there is another thought that confronts us. Do suicide bombers and terrorists really fear death? Kasab knew what he had come for and also knew his fate. Then will the death sentence create a sense of fear in his followers or will it make him a martyr? Surely such a subversive act must be punished in the most severe way. Special Public Prosecutor in the case, Ujjwal Nikam, opinionated that “Kasab is a killing machine and the manufacturing factory of such killing machines are still in Pakistan”. We all know that Kasab’s family was promised Rs 1.5 lakh for his sacrifice by the LeT. If such atrocious acts are awarded and such fanatics are treated as martyrs, then is a death penalty the right approach?

The passing of the death sentence opens up the following avenues for Kasab:

1. Appeal to the Supreme Court.

2. If the Supreme Court upholds the judgment of the High Court and the Lower Court, Kasab can file for a clemency plea to the President of India.

If Kasab files for a plea in the Supreme Court, and if the Supreme Court grants a life sentence, then will the Government spend some more money for the terrorist?

Capital Punishment in India is given in the rarest of rare cases. Currently, there are more than 100 people who have been awarded the death sentence but are in the queue to be executed.

Article 72 of the Indian Constitution gives the President the powers to reduce the sentence or grant a pardon to a convict, especially those involving capital punishment. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, between 1995-2006, the President has rejected seven mercy petitions and commuted two, while between 1985 to 1994 it rejected 41 mercy petitions and commuted four. As many as 173 such petitions were received between 1975 to 1984 of which 121 were rejected and 52 commuted. However, a maximum of 543 mercy petitions were commuted between 1965 to 1974 during which 491 such petitions were rejected. According to Amnesty International figures at least 100 people in 2007, 40 in 2006, 77 in 2005, 23 in 2002, and 33 in 2001 were sentenced to death (but not yet executed). Looking at these figures, if Kasab is given an option to ask for mercy, how long will it be before he recompensates for his doings? The procedure for a clemecy plea (mercy petition) is long before final justice actually takes place. The clemency plea could lead to:

1. Grant of Pardon

2. Rejection of Plea

This again would put Kasab in the queue before the other convicts are executed. This is now a political issue as we have to wait and watch if the Government of India executes this sentence expeditiously or will allow the queue system to continue.

The question to raise here is, is a death penalty or a life sentence enough for Kasab or should he be treated as mercilessly as he acted? Is this act of leniency on part of the Government of India assuring terrorists such as Kasab that they will be treated ordinarily and hence lead to recurring attacks? These issues are yet to be dealt with and answers awaited for. But the real issue which needs to be highlighted is that, is the death penalty really a deterrant for any terrorist?

(Mehak Budhrani is a Lawyer and Human Rights Activist)

Lahore, Pakistan (CHAKRA) – A Hindu couple, Mukesh and Padma in Hyderabad Pakistan, tied the knot with a traditional Hindu ceremony but in a fashion different from the rest. The wedding, while having the seven pheras (seven circles around the holy fire) was held on the streets for two purposes. The start of a new relationship for the couple as well as to publicize a stance against the complete disregard of Hindu couples existence.

Since 1947, the Muslim-backed Pakistani government has not recognized Hindu married couples as legally married. Due to this ignorance and disregard for Hindu individuals, many families have had to deal with social, psychological and even domestic problems including domestic violence against women, says Guru Sukh Dev, the pandit who solemnized the Hindu ceremony with Vedic verses.

Ramesh Mal, a local leader organized the demonstration for the couple and he said that ever since the creation of the Islamic State of Pakistan, they have not yet accepted Hindu marriage in order to enact laws that formalize it in a majority-based Muslim society. Mal further stated his opinion that the Pakistani government should follow suit from India and take steps to introduce laws that protect Hindu marriages.

According to Mal, not only do Hindu marriages cause hardships for Hindus in Pakistan but the community also has problems obtaining passports, registering married women, and conducting property transfers. Due to these issues even traveling within Pakistan becomes difficult if not impossible for Hindu individuals.

During the marriage the protesters chanted slogans to convince President Zardari to take further steps towards legalizing Hindu marriages.

Sapna Devi, one of the protesters revealed her union of marriage of 17 years yet she had no legal proof of it. In her case if her husband were to pass away she would not even be able to claim property that rightly belongs to her because there are no legal terms stating they are a union.

The newly wedded couple shared that although their wedding may have been seen as strange or chaotic, they still saw it as a start of a new life for them because they were fighting for change that was very important to their union–something the marriage ceremony itself stood for. So they think it was worth every minute, if it got a point across to the government and media. Padma said that everyone deserved to have such a basic right and they will not stop fighting until they get what they deserve.

Religious Minorities are constantly ignored and targeted by the Muslim Majority

PAKISTAN – Veerji Kohli, a Hindu activist in Pakistan has been accused of murder after trying to stand up for Hindu rights in Islamabad Pakistan.

Veerji is a well-known human rights activist who particulary focuses on the issues related to bonded labour. Recently, he helped to release a number of children, women and men from the hands of feudal lords in a community where many Kohli families live. He helped to release the men, women and children from a brutal environment where they were being treated unfairly by feudal lords, to do work in unlivable conditions for a next to nothing pay. He has been successful in getting many individuals out of such trouble while helping them to find better positions that are more suitable to their needs.

By taking a stand against the biased attitude of Pakistani police in a rape case of a Hindu girl by the name of Kastoori Kohli, Veerji Kohli has gotten into trouble. He has realized from this incident that taking a stance against a case involving feudal lords has its share of consequences. After being held in custody wrongfully for a few weeks, a high-level inquiry proved Veerji Kohli to be innocent while proving the police officers to be biased thus losing their jobs.

The feudal lords that are involved in the case are members of the local Muslim majority community, Raees Ghani Khan Khosa, and Bachal Khan Khosa who retaliated against Kohli by kidnapping him and keeping him in a dungeon for over four days. After serious pressure from some community members including prominent politicians, senior police officers, journalists and human rights activists, Kohli was released by the feudal lords. However, this did not mean their grudge had repealed.

The feudal lords set Kohli’s car on fire followed by framing him for a murder case that took place in Nagarparkar although Kohli was in Hyderabad at the time of the murder. Using their power and political ties, the Khan Khosa’s pressured the police to issue punishment under section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code. Kohli, was once again in trouble–but now for killing something who he knew nothing about. All this followed from the night he decided to help his fellow community members from working under feudal lords who mistreated them and enslaved them like animals.

Kohli, since has asked his supporters and everyone in Islamabad to support his cause and case, after releasing a report to the public. He has told people to stay strong and continue to fight for human rights and injustices that victimize people in a way they should not be victimized. Regardless of consequences, Kohli still stands by all his decision made and is encouraging others to do what is right.

The brutal suppression of Swami Ramdev’s protests against corruption which reaches to the highest echelons of the Indian government should come as no surprise to anyone who has had the unfortunate experience of coming face to face with the country’s administrative and highly bureaucratic infrastructure. Graft, greed, black money, backhanders and dishonesty have become integral to the rusting steel frame of national civil administration. But what is perhaps most shocking is the silence.

Where are all the human rights voices who are always keen to support separatism in Kashmir and otherwise so very eager to expose the brutality of army and police when they crackdown on protests? Where are the western ‘liberal’ intellectuals who willingly act as sheep and android mouthpieces for the aforementioned Indian chattering class academics and activists? The only disturbing conclusions one can draw from this silence is that the leader of this anti-corruption drive is a revered Hindu holy man. Such a figure is an anathema to the Orwellian claustrophobia which strangulates all rational thinking when it comes to India political and social commentary.

In this Brave New World the unwritten rule is that Swami Ramdev must be wrong because he is an honoured figure within Hinduism. One need only compare to the kid glove treatment given to the Pakistani terrorists who arrived on that accursed December to inflict maximum casualties in Mumbai on specifically Hindu, Jewish and western human targets. Pleas continue to be heard for clemency and to understand the ‘context’ of why such people would want to commit genocide had they not been limited by numbers and killing machine technology. Yet with Swami Ramdev not one voice in favour but already rumblings of why Indian human rights activists and their duped western sheep either employ the self-censorship of gagging or slowly veer to subtle condemnation of him. It is in the latter that we learn the real reason why Swami Ramdev’s very important anti-corruption drive is being ignored or opposed. As one famous western news website put it, he is “openly backed by India ’s Hindu nationalist opposition”. That is basically the crux of it, and the reason for the double standards in reporting.

The Indian masses in their millions will have to rely on themselves for their “Arab spring” in order to get rid of an authoritarian ruling class who siphon off billions just as their parallel entities got so sued to doing in the Middle East . But while the people in the Middle East have been supported for their efforts to rid themselves of thieving kleptocracies, even when the radical religious element was never far from the forefront, in India the very idea that a Hindu religious figure can do the same is delegitimised simply because Baba Ramdev is Hindu and shows the relevance of Hinduism in all aspects of modern life, including tackling a system which effectively locks millions into poverty and dependence upon an inflexible crushing parasitic form of clientage which is the antithesis of democracy, liberalism and civic duties.

Ranbir Singh is a member of Hindu Human Rights (www.hinduhumanrights.info)

Dhaka, Bangladesh (CHAKRA) — Nine idols have been vandalized at a Kali Temple in Bangladesh by Islamists which has been standing for 200 years.

According to temple committee president, Harendranath Barman, four of the nine damaged idols were found beheaded in Sudrahabi village of Kaliganj sub-district. He is demanding the police to find the culprits and punish they as deserved for such a hate crime.

Prajit Kumar Roy, the sub-district officer in charge said that his team is out looking to arrest the culprits.

Similar incidents have taken place in the past. An ancient temple in a village near the Bangladesh capital was vandalized by Islamists a few months ago. Not only were six idols vandalized but in addition 35 people were attacked. The Sri Sri Rahshakali temple in the Ashrafdi village in Naranaganj was wrecked on February 7, during which four adjacent houses were damaged and five people were injured.

Bangladesh is a mostly muslim country with a minority hindu population.

Buddhist Monks are frequent targets of the Islamic Insurgency

Bangkok, Thailand (CHAKRA) – Muslim Insurgents broke into the homes of Buddhist villagers in the southern province of Narathiwat on Saturday. 4 Buddhists were shot and killed before all invaded properties were set on fire. Based on the police investigation, 10 Islamic militants in fatigues had invaded 3 homes in Hutaeyuloh village before violently opening fire with their M16 assault rifles on the innocent home owners. The Islamic terrorists then set fire on all homes and escaped by a compact truck and motorcycles.

The houses invaded were of the last 3 Buddhist familes settled in the Muslim community. Therefore, the police and analysts are assuming muslim militants were trying to commit a form of genocide of Buddhists in the area. Bacho district is known to be very dangerous and one of the many terrorist strongholds.

The islamic insurgency has been going on for many years and is responsible for more than 3,500 casualities (mostly Buddhist victims).  8,000 terrorist attacks have been committed in the  muslim-majority southern provinces of Thailand which include Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat.

A fountain outside an Islamic Mosque

Sindh, Pakistan (CHAKRA)—When a Hindu boy drank water out of a water facility outside of a mosque, several members of the minority community of Hindus were attacked and forced out of their homes in Sindh, Pakistan.

In the capital city of Karachi in Memon Goth, about 60 Hindus were brutally hurt and kicked out of their houses after influential Muslim tribesmen saw the boy drinking water from a fountain outside of an Islamic mosque.

A Hindu man, Meerumal said his son Dinesh was beaten after being seen drinking from a water cooler outside of a mosque.

Later seven individuals were attacked, injured and taken to Jinnah hospital which was nearby.

Some of the Hindus that were thrown out of their homes have taken refuge in a cattle pen.

It was said by Heera, one of the victims, that about 400 families were being threatened to vacate the area.

Heera who is also living in a cattle pen said, “Our people are even scared of going out of their houses. We are also putting up with living in the filthy (cattle) pen because we cannot go home for fear of being killed.”

The Minority Affairs Minister—Mohan Lal has said he will do all that it takes to get the homes back for the Hindus stranded from their homes.  However,  in the last year there have been thousands of similar cases in Pakistan towards families belonging to a religious minority and in almost all cases the victims are ignored. Last month a few Hindus from the same town were kidnapped and forced to convert.

Shamshan Ghat Temple in Pakistan shared by Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists

Islamabad, Pakistan (CHAKRA) —The minority Hindu community in Pakistan has protested against the demolition of a pre-partition 87-year-old Hindu temple, in the town of Rawalpindi, but the destruction has been set to take place.

The temple was being used by Hindus and Sikhs to perform the last rituals of close ones, according to Jagmohan Kumar, the head of the Hindu community in Rawalpindi.

Kumar said, the Shamshan Ghat temple is not only used by the local Hindus but also by the foreign missions of China and the Buddhist community.

The Shamshan Ghat temple and land was given to Hindus when Benazir Bhutto was in power while Kishan Chand Parwani was the federal minister for the minorities in her cabinet.  Kumar added that the temple is now being demolished while the land is being kept for the community.

According to Kumar, before the Shamshan Ghat temple was built on this land, it used to have several temples along Tipu Road and Nullah Leh.  However, some of those temples were demolished before partition while the rest were flattened to the ground after the 1992 Babri Masjid occurrence in India.  Many of the spaces where the temples originally stood are presently occupied by residential apartment buildings beside the Raja Bazaar in Rawalpindi. 

Jagmohan’s commented on how muslims would feel if their mosques were demolished for the purpose of residential growth. Hindus are fed up in Pakistan but have no voice and reports have shown that over hundreds of Hindu temples are destroyed in Pakistan on an annual basis. Many analysts forecast that all Hindu temples (tens of thousands before 1947) will be destroyed by 2020 by Muslim extremists.