September 26 :
On the morning of September 25th, vandalism was found at a Hindu temple in Mather, California. The incident is being investigated by the authorities as a potential hate crime. Reports of vandalism jolted the local Hindu and South Asian communities, so the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Swaminarayan Mandir temple on Armstrong Avenue.
Near the entrance of the temple's parking lot, there was graffiti covering marquees and the ground. The graffiti included obscenities, "anti-Hindu" remarks, and insults to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Additionally, deputies found severing of water lines that supplied a neighboring structure. The people responsible for the assault are being sought after by the authorities.
Melville, New York was the scene of a comparable vandalism incident a few days before to this one. The criminals in both incidents seemed to be using Hindu Americans as a scapegoat for their own political agendas in India. The coalition Stop AAPI Hate on X issued a statement saying, "This is no isolated incident." They fight against prejudice against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Racism and religious intolerance are stoked when regular people are unjustly made to pay for the transgressions of other nations. We stand in solidarity with the Hindu American community in their time of loss and demand an investigation into these two incidents of anti-Asian scapegoating.
The increasing trend of Hinduphobia in the United States is deeply concerning, and the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) has voiced its serious concern over these repeated attacks. Once again, a #HinduTemple in the United States has been the target of an attack. The same forces strike in Sacramento, California, even before the #NewYork attack could settle, according to a statement from CoHNA.
An ever-increasing tide of anti-Hindu sentiment, according to the group, is being fueled by the absence of responsibility for such crimes. Because no one has been held accountable for the numerous provocations that have taken place in the United States, Hinduphobia is on the rise. Our legislators, unfortunately, have not prioritized drawing attention to the issue and finding a solution.
Additionally, the larger issue of religious freedom for minority communities in America was brought up in CoHNA's statement. "What does the concept of #FreedomofReligion imply for minority #HinduAmericans in this setting, where our houses of worship, which are supposed to be places of refuge, are being desecrated without consequence?"
Amid growing alarm over the frequency of assaults on American temples, the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) expressed similar feelings. With a statement reading, "It is unacceptable that Hindu temples are being targeted to air hatred against Indian and Hindu American communities," the group strongly condemned the act.
Leaders in the area wasted no time in condemning the act of vandalism. A member of Congress from California's 7th Congressional District, Ami Bera, condemned the incident on social media. In Sacramento County, religious intolerance and bigotry have no place. Whatever this is, I despise it as an act of vandalism in our neighborhood. No one can tolerate bigotry or discrimination; we must all work to make our town a welcoming place for people of all faiths. Amid the ongoing probe, civil rights groups and the Hindu American community have demanded that the rising tide of religious and racial hatred against Asian and South Asian Americans receive more scrutiny
