July 23 :
As a disturbing trend of targeted attacks on Hindu places of worship across Canada continues, the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Edmonton was vandalized once again on July 23. The increasing number of hate-motivated acts of violence against Hindu-Canadian communities has deeply troubled Chandra Arya, a member of parliament for Nepean. Once again, vandalism has targeted Edmonton's Hindu temple, BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir. Hindu temples in the GTA, BC, and elsewhere in Canada have been targeted by racist vandalism in recent years, according to a post by Arya on X on Tuesday.
This latest incident is just the latest in a disturbing pattern of religious intolerance that has been observed in recent years. Canadian and Indian authorities condemned and demanded action after anti-India graffiti defaced a Hindu temple in Windsor last year. The Canadian Indian community reacted strongly to earlier instances in which temples were targeted in a similar fashion in Brampton and Mississauga.
Arya, a Liberal lawmaker well-known for his multiculturalism, brought attention to the fact that extremists from the Khalistani movement in Canada enjoy complete impunity, pointing to specific cases where their speech has openly called for violence and hatred.
The fanatics of the Khalistani movement, as I have long claimed, appear to get away with openly advocating violence and hatred. This time, I'd like to make it official. The concerns of Hindu Canadians are valid. Rather than letting empty talk escalate into actual violence against Hindu Canadians, Arya urged Canadian law enforcement to treat the matter with the seriousness it deserves.
Sikhs for Justice' Gurpatwant Singh Pannun openly demanded that Hindus return to India last year. "Khalistan supporters openly celebrated the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in Brampton and Vancouver, brandishing images of deadly weapons," Arya further informed.
Still another prominent Canadian politician brought it up on social media, calling it an example of "hateful rhetoric." The Edmonton BAPS Mandir was sprayed with paint earlier today, smearing hate speech over the walls of a sanctuary that ought to provide solace. Canada is a country where hate has no place, especially in houses of religion. Canadian House of Commons member Randy Boissonnault expressed his disapproval of the occurrence and its violation of the city's principles in an online post.
Everyone in Canada is concerned about the safety of religious communities, and they want the police to do something about it. The tragedies have rekindled conversations about the need to increase efforts to counter extremist ideology and strengthen security measures surrounding Hindu temples.
In the meanwhile, a number of international news outlets have brought attention to the rising fears of Khalistani sympathisers in Canada, with events frequently being associated with demands for a separate Khalistan state in the Punjab region of India.
