America
North Carolina temple sign hit with shotgun blasts
Hindus nationwide are highly concerned after reports of a
sign of planned “Winston Salem Hindu Temple†in Clemmons (North Carolina) was hit with over 60 shotgun
blasts earlier this month.
This comes at the heels of reports of vandalizing of North
Texas Hindu Mandir in Dallas around April 13 and
vandalizing of two Hindu temples in Seattle
metropolitan area of Washington
State in February last,
where words like “GET OUT†and “FEAR†were scrawled on the temple walls. In
addition, a Hindu grandfather was roughed-up by police in Madison
(Alabama) in
February, resulting in partial paralysis.
Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, said that
it was shocking for the hard-working, harmonious and peaceful US Hindu
community numbering about three million; who had made lot of contributions to
the nation and society; to receive such signals of hatred and anger.
Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism,
urged administration for swift action; and North Carolina Governor Patrick L.
McCrory, Forsyth Couth Board of Commissioners Chairman David R. Plyler and
Clemmons Mayor Nickolas Nelson to meet with area Hindus to regain the falling
confidence of the Hindu community.
Rajan Zed suggested that basics of major world religions
should be taught in high schools of the country and first responders should be
imparted cultural competency training so that we understood each other better
in view of increasing diversity of the nation. Zed urged fellow Hindus to
educate other Americans about Hinduism, the oldest and third largest religion
of the world with about one billion adherents, and try to remove any
misconceptions about it.
Zed pointed out that reasons for the success of the US Hindu
community in the areas of education, wealth and long-lasting harmonious
marriages were because of them continuing with the traditional values of hard
work, higher morals, stress on education, sanctity of marriage, etc., amidst so
many distractions.
Ground Breaking Ceremony (Bhoomi Puja) for “Winston Salem Hindu
Temple†was held on June
11. To be built by Om Hindu Organization of North Carolina and Sri Mata
Shaktipeetham, 7.6 acres have reportedly been purchased for this purpose.
Construction of this 3,600-square-foot Temple,
after consultations with temple architects in India, is proposed to start later
this year. This will be the first Hindu temple of Forsyth
County, where about 500 Hindu families reside. In the absence of a temple, the
area Hindus have been travelling to Charlotte and Cary, besides worshipping at
home shrines.