Hindu Family In US Asked To Remove Religious Flag

[Guest guest]

PALM BEACH, Florida (Jan. 30, 2004) - A Hindu family in the American

state of Florida has been asked to remove a religious flag from

outside their home or face a fine of up to $100 a day.

 

Residents of the Rivermill development area in Lake Worth, Florida,

asked Chola and Leila Persaud, who are of Indo-Guyanese origin, to

remove the flag.

 

"We had a general meeting of homeowners," Persaud said. "My husband

and I were there. The residents signed a petition saying the flag

has to go. But we have said 'no' since it is a First Amendment

violation."

 

"We have contacted the American Civil Liberties Union. We are trying

to work out what next step to take," Leila Persaud said.

 

The Persauds migrated to the US in 1981 and spent 22 years in New

York. A retired teacher, Leila Persaud said she, her husband, three

daughters and six grand children had been having a pleasant stay at

their present two-storey Spanish home since last year but were taken

aback when the Rivermill Homeowners Association slapped a notice of

violation against them.

 

"The notice asked us to remove the flag immediately since it

violated the bylaws or face a penalty of $100 a day," she

said. "They said we could keep it in our backyard. But we said that

our custom does not permit the flag to be kept in the backyard. The

flag is actually hidden behind hibiscus bushes."

 

Persaud explained that the tri-colour flag, which is aimed at

protecting the family, was put up after a prayer. As per custom, it

should remain there for a year and should be replaced after another

prayer. The old flag, she added, is immersed in a sea or river.

 

The red colour in the flag, she said, was for monkey god Hanuman,

the pale peach was for god Shiva and the yellow for goddess Durga.

 

The incident has attracted media attention.

 

According to Sun Sentinel, a newspaper from southern Florida, the

homeowners association had voted last year to ban religious symbols

from all the 377 homes, except during a few weeks around holidays

such as Christmas.

 

Mike Magnanti, president of the board, was quoted as saying that the

rule was an attempt to address residents' complaints that the flag

put up by Persauds looked like a "torn, tattered towel in a tree".

 

Vidya Meman, president of the Florida Hindu Cultural and Religious

Association, however said that in many other Palm Beach communities,

Hindus have not had a problem flying their religious flags.

 

Source: Indo-Asian News Service, New York, January 30; apprearing in

HindustanTimes.com

URL: http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_554088,00050001.htm

[Guest guest]

This sounds like some country club in which a lot of rich people

live. There are neighborhoods where you can't buy a house without

agreeing to live by rules set by the neighborhood association. That

means that your neighbors can force you to mow your lawn or cut down

a tree they don't like or use a clothes drier instead of hanging your

laundry out in the sun. Very restrictive, and designed to keep the

property values high. Some of these neighborhoods try to have clauses

in their rules saying that blacks or Jews or immigrants or other

people they don't like can't move in, but that is illegal. But they

try all sorts of other things.

 

I heard of one case where there was a 7-year-old boy with cancer.

His doctor advised the family to buy the boy a pet as part of his

psychological therapy. The parents bought him a miniature pony, one

that only grows about 3 or 4 feet high. But he lived in one of these

neighborhoods. The rules in the neighborhood said no farm animals.

Never mind that this was a miniature pony, not a large horse. No

working farm would want a pony like this. But the neighbors tried to

force the family to give up the pony. Big nasty court battle. I

forget who won in court.

 

So, the problem with the flag is simply esthetics. The neighbors

want everything neat and pretty so that the property values stay

high. I would suggest to the family that they fight back by saying

that if they are forced to take down their flag, that every other

family also has to take down any religious or holiday symbols. That

includes Christmas decorations, Thanksgiving pumpkins, Fourth-of-July

flags, etc. Only fair.

 

Sister Yvonne

[Guest guest]

>Some of these neighborhoods try to have clauses

> in their rules saying that blacks or Jews or immigrants or other

> people they don't like can't move in, but that is illegal.

 

Some such neighborhoods do successfully prohibit children.

> I heard of one case where there was a 7-year-old boy with cancer.

.... I forget who won in court.

 

As I remember, the court ordered the neighborhood to allow the boy to

have the pony.

 

Sister/Aunt Usha

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 2/2/2004 8:58:42 AM Pacific Standard Time,

devi_bhakta writes:

 

>

> The Persauds migrated to the US in 1981 and spent 22 years in New

> York. A retired teacher, Leila Persaud said she, her husband, three

> daughters and six grand children had been having a pleasant stay at

> their present two-storey Spanish home since last year but were taken

> aback when the Rivermill Homeowners Association slapped a notice of

> violation against them.

 

I pray the Goddess will help them win their fight...I have always disliked

Homeowners Associations. and would never buy a home in such a place its like

signing away your freedom....however something must be sacred for example I am

sure that the homeowners association is not allowed to take basic rights away

from American citizens or for that matter interfere with the rights of foreign

nationals on our shores

Blessed Be