Washington,
D.C. (October 2, 2015) --
Leaders of the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) condemned the alleged lynching
of a Muslim mana in an Indian village earlier this week. Mohammed Akhlaq was
killed and his son was left badly beaten, reportedly over rumors they had
killed a cow.
HAF leaders urged local authorities in Bisara village near
the town of Dadri, located near Delhi, to enact justice for those accused in
the brutal attack. While there were some conflicting reports on the violence,
HAF representatives unequivocally condemned such violence, saying it ran
contrary to Hindu teachings regarding the sanctity of all life and ahimsa, or
non-harming, and Hinduism’s history of mutual respect and pluralism.
“Hinduism has survived in India
and across the world because of its acceptance of others and its central belief
of respect for all living beings,†said HAF Executive Council member and India strategic
relations director Swami Venkataraman. “These incidents, however isolated, must
be condemned by all Hindus.â€
HAF Executive Director Suhag Shukla also urged other Hindu
leaders to speak out, noting that such incidents tarnish India’s long
history of religious pluralism as well as Hindu teachings.
“The privileging of an animal’s life over that of a man and
his son in this horrible incident is a perversion of our teachings. Indeed, the
cow is considered sacred by Hindus, but this shouldn’t lead to dogma.†Shukla
said. “Moreover, political parties in India need to step back and examine
the rhetoric, especially of fringe elements, that leads to such perverse
incidents, and understand their responsibility in preventing them from
occurring.â€