Fwd: Polish Vedic-Hindu Krishna Worshippers procecuted

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Polish Vedic-Hindu Krishna Worshippers procecuted

Sun, 31 Mar 2002 23:40:32

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>Poland (VNN) - Polish Catholics Persecute Krishna Worshippers

>by Ella Serwin and Magdalena Mola

>

>Krishna worshippers in Poland are up against a fascist-like anti-Vedic movement

made up of an unholy alliance between Roman Catholic fanatics and members of the

Republican league an ultra right wing quasi-political group.

>

>Priests and nuns from the Dominican order and members of other Catholic

organizations have undertaken a massive misinformation campaign aimed at

creating public hysteria over the "rising tide" of Hindu and Vedic teachings

and its "evil consequences for Poland." Although the primary target of their

bigotry and hatred is the Chaitanya Mission (founded by Jagad Guru

Siddhaswarupananda), the attack has expanded to include Hindu beliefs in

general and the sacred teachings of the Vedic literature. Examples of the type

of persecution the Polish Krishna worshippers are experiencing include the

following:

>

>Gross Distortions of Vedic Philosophy and Religious Practices Sister Michaela,

a Dominican nun, has claimed at public meetings and under oath in court that if

Vaishnavism takes hold in Poland, worshippers of Krishna will introduce human

sacrifices and "bloody offerings" before their "idols." She further claimed

that "sati" will be introduced and widows of Krishna worshippers would be

forcibly burned on their husbands' funeral pyres. Moreover, she asserts

"temples of prostitution" will also be opened with group sex before the

"idols." The "holy sister," who presents herself as an authority on Hinduism

and Vedic culture, has also repeatedly blasphemed Lord Krishna.

>

>Destroying and Defacing Posters A professor at Lublin Catholic University

appearing on a popular radio program instructed his students and members of the

public to tear down or deface posters advertising festivals and meditation

classes conducted by the Chaitanya Mission. As a result, Catholic hooligans

regularly rip down posters or stamp the words "dangerous sect" along with

pictures of a skull-and-crossbones on the posters.

>

>Disruption of Public Lectures In Krakow members of the Republican League have

stood up in the midst of large public gatherings throwing "warning" flyers into

the air along with firecrackers and stink bombs. One of the authors of this

article, a rather frail woman in her late twenties, was knocked to the ground

by a man from the Republican League when she asked him to leave the lecture.

Republican League members have disrupted lectures in other cities as well.

>

>Harassment of Krishna Worshippers Representatives from the Dominican Center

have harassed members of the public as they enter or attempt to enter

auditoriums and halls to attend programs sponsored by the Chaitanya Mission.

Handbills claiming that the Vedic teachings attack and undermine the Biblical

teachings are also distributed. Harassment campaigns against individual Krishna

devotees have also been conducted. Recently posters with a skull-and-crossbones

displayed on them were pasted up and down the street where a 78-year-old

Krishna worshipper

>

>lives. The posters gave his address and stated that a dangerous sect member

lived there. A few days later the same individuals who put up the posters

formed a picket line in front of the building where he lives. Within a few days

this devotee, who was a Polish resistance fighter during WWII and highly

decorated war hero, received an eviction letter from the Catholic organization

owning the building he lived in.

>

>The devotee, Narasingha das, stated as follows, "I have lived in this building

for 30 years with no problems. Now I am being evicted because I am not a

Catholic. I just want to spend the last few years of my life worshipping

Krishna. I fought against fascism and the Nazis to defend the freedom of the

Polish people and I am an invalid because of my service to my country. Yet now

Polish citizens are using fascist tactics to try to take away my own freedom. I

cannot understand it." Catholic officials have also contacted landlords and

managers of halls and auditoriums rented by the group and discouraged them from

renting their

>

>facilities to the Chaitanya Mission. Other landlords are afraid to rent to the

Mission because of the stink bomb and firecracker attacks and the threat of

damage to their facilities by the Republican League and other hooligans.

Therefore it is becoming increasingly difficult for the Chaitanya Mission to

conduct its public programs.

>

>The Chaitanya Mission, with ashrams and centers in all major Polish cities, is

doing its best to defend the Vedic Dharma. An education campaign is under way

by the Mission to counter Sister Michaela's misrepresentation of Hindu

religious practices and her twisted and perverted descriptions of Krishna's

divine lila.

>

>And a lawsuit for defamation and slander has been filed against Ann

Lubowcheska, president and founder of the "Society to Protect the Family and

Individual." Through news articles and leaflets distributed at public programs,

Ms. Lubowcheska has falsely charged that Krishna worshippers from Chaitanya

Mission engaged in activities which were illegal and extremely harmful to

Polish society. However, during the first two court appearances, she admitted

she had no evidence whatsoever to support her accusations. It appears she got

her allegations from a book describing the activities of dangerous sects. Since

she imagines Chaitanya Mission to be a sect, she concluded its members must

engage in such activities even though the Chaitanya Mission is not even

mentioned in the source books!

>

>The battle against oppression is far from won. Using a strange defense allowed

under an obscure Polish law, Ms. Lubowcheska is claiming that even though what

she said was untrue, she had a right to say it "for the greater good of Polish

society." She asserts the Vedic teachings presented by the Chaitanya Mission

pose a serious threat to social well being and it was her duty to call

attention to their activities in Poland. In effect her defense is to claim that

the Chaitanya Mission is a dangerous sect. Although her specific allegations of

illegal and harmful activities have been disproven, to win the final count

against her that she falsely claimed Chaitanya Mission is a dangerous sect

teaching dangerous ideas from the Vedas the burden is on the Polish Krishna

worshippers to prove that Vaishnavism is a bona fide religious tradition.

>

>To this end, Tusta Krishna das, founder of the Hindu Religious Freedom

Foundation and a fellow disciple of Jagad Guru, was called to testify as an

expert witness at the case. He presented several letters of praise for the

Mission's activities from Catholic professors, nuns and priests in the Republic

of the Philippines where Chaitanya Mission also has a large presence. Not only

has there never been any conflict with Catholics in that country, but Jagad

Guru's books are being used there as textbooks in Catholic universities.

>

>More than 70 letters from charities and social welfare institutions who have

benefited by the Chaitanya Mission programs in Poland and Russia were also

presented.

>

>Through recent news articles and TV reports, the public is gradually becoming

aware of the injustices being dished out to the Polish Krishna worshippers. As

a result, support for their plight is growing.

>

>"Nonetheless," Tusta Krishna das stated, "with the offensive testimony of

Sister Michaela and the depth of fanaticism amongst the Dominicans, it is still

going to be an uphill battle to establish the purity of Vedic teachings. We need

help from Hindu and Vedic scholars around the world, and the sooner the better."

>

>Tusta Krishna das' five and a half hour testimony primarily focused on refuting

misconceptions presented by Sister Michaela and also establishing the sacred

nature of the Vedic scriptures and high moral character of those who follow

them.

>

>And much has been done to discredit Sister Michaela herself, the Dominican

Center's "expert" on Hinduism. Skeptical about her testimony under oath that

she held a degree in Sociology of Religion from Karnatak University, Chaitanya

Mission representative Sunil Khemaney contacted university officials. He

learned Karnatak University does not even have a religious studies department.

Professor Anil Mudbidri from the Sociology Department further informed Mr.

Khemaney that in his 25 years at the university no foreign student had ever

studied in that department. And finally the registrar, Dr. Rajshekr, advised

that not only had no degree been awarded to Sister Michaela (legal name Zofia

Pawlik), no one by that name had ever been enrolled as a student at Karnatak

University. It seems Sister Michaela has not only been misrepresenting Hinduism

and the Vedic teachings but also her own background. Chaitanya Mission members

are not surprised.

>

>Tapasya das, head of the Chaitanya Mission in Poland, has an interesting and

insightful take on the whole affair. Noting that early missionaries to India

established Roman Catholicism not only through fear and intimidation but by

slaughtering thousands of "non-believers" and by razing numerous Hindu temples

in the province of Goa, he commented as follows: "How would the Catholics in

India react if they were harassed and persecuted by local Hindus in the same

way their Polish brethren persecute us? It would be an international incident!

More importantly, perhaps, is how Hindus in India will react given the rising

surge of Hindu activism when they discover how the Catholics are treating us

here."

>

>"This is a great contrast of values," he further stated. "Despite the fact that

early Catholic missionaries in India often engaged in atrocities not unlike the

Muslims, just look how nicely Hindus honored Mother Theresa when she died, even

though they did not accept her beliefs. This is proof positive of the tolerant

nature of those who follow the Vedic culture. Would an Indian saint be treated

the same way by Catholics if he died in the West?"

>

>Based on what he learned during his visit to Poland, Tusta Krishna das feels

that the Catholics are conducting a full frontal attack not only on Chaitanya

Mission but on all Hindus and followers of the Vedic culture. "If we don't stop

this cold, it may very well spread to other countries as well."

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