Attack and Robbery on California Hindu Temple Scares Local Hindus and Highlights Growing Attacks on Hindus

The Laxmi Narayan Hindu Temple was Attacked and Robbed in Sacramento California

Hindus are highly concerned after the violent robbery at an American Hindu Temple. The Sacramento, California Laxmi Narayan Hindu temple was raided by a masked gunman, where an elderly 86-year old grandmother was among the many victims. The attacker violently and forced jewelry off Hindu temple congregates while holding them at gun-point.

Hindu-American community leader Rajan Zed from Nevada urged administration for swift action; and to Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson and Sacramento County Board of Supervisors Chair Roberta MacGlashan to contact the area Hindu community to reassure them.

This attack at Sacramento’s Hindu temple comes after a rising and scary trend of attacks on Hindu-Americans and their temples. Just recently A cow’s severed complete head with a bullet to it was reportedly left at a Hindu-run animal and cow sanctuary in Jackson Township in Monroe County of eastern Pennsylvania in March this year. All animals, especially cows are held sacred and special to Hindus and hence is why many followers of Hinduism are vegetarian and are also staunch supporters of animal rights.

• In 2015 alone, there were dozens of attacks on Hindus in the United States and Canada. These Hinduphobic and anti-Hindu attacks included
• 40 Hindu religious flags were burned outside a home in Queens, New York City on Thanksgiving Day
• A Hindu temple was vandalized with smashed windows and graffiti  in Kitchener, Ontario (near Toronto) on November 15
• The sign for the Winston Salem Hindu Temple in Clemmons, North Carolina was hit with over 60 shotgun blasts in July
• A Hindu temple building was vandalized in Dallas, Texas in April
• 2 Hindu temples in Kent and Bothell,Washington (near Seattle) were vandalized with hate-speech and damage in February
• A Hindu grandfather was roughed-up by police in Madison, Alabama in February resulting in partial paralysis.
• There was anti-Hindu vandalism in Loudoun County, Virginia.

Although Hinduism is the oldest and 3rd largest religion of the world with approximately one billion adherents as well as Yoga being based/integrated with Hinduism; awareness among Westerners is very low. This low awareness of Hinduism in the west is mainly due to the lack of media attention of attacks on Hindus and their positive campaigns towards charity. An example of this can be seen with the attack on Sacramento’s Hindu temple being covered by 2 local media outlets and No national media outlets, vs.  attacks on other faiths (churches and mosques) being covered by over a dozen of national & international media outlets. (validated by searching Google News & Media feed)

Another large reason and considered as ‘cultural appropriation’ by many is the fact that majority of Yoga practitioners and advocates ignore the cultural & religious origins of Yoga with the most Hindu sacred words and symbols such as ‘OM’, ‘Moksha’ and “Namaste’ being used without any context.