HAF RESPONDS TO LA TIMES HINDUPHOBIC

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HAF RESPONDS TO HINDUPHOBIC ARTICLE IN LA TIMES

 

The Hindu American Foundation responded to a Hinduphobic

article, "Defying Tradition" (April 24, 2005)in the Los Angeles

Times where, an Indian Missionary Father D'Mello urges the new Pope

Benedict XVI, who holds other religions as 'deficient', not to yield

an inch to 'extremists'. The writer Paul Watson also equates

Hinduism with the worship of cows and snakes. HAF points out that it

is indeed Christianity that holds exclusivist views whereas Hinduism

is tolerant and values pluralism.

 

 

 

April 27, 2005

 

Dear Editor:

 

Paul Watson's "Defying Tradition", April 24, 2005, promotes

Hinduphobia rather than balanced reporting. The article says that

Father D'Mello "battles for souls against the myriad beliefs of

Hinduism" and urges Pope Benedict XVI, who holds other religions

as 'deficient', not to yield an inch to 'extremists.' In fact it is

the Pope, when he was Cardinal Ratzinger, who expressed extremist

views by denigrating Hinduism as a religion of "false hope" that

guaranteed salvation based on a "morally cruel" concept of

reincarnation resembling a "continuous circle of hell." Such

Hinduphobic views anger Hindus and build distrust. Hinduism is a

peaceful and tolerant religion that believes in pluralism.

 

Urging Hindus "to place their faith in Christ instead of the cows,

cobras and other beings they revere" is deeply hurtful and ignorant.

Hinduism's reverence for nature is not a central principle in and of

itself, but rather the outgrowth of a philosophy that sees the

divine in all of creation. As the Bhagavad Gita says, "For one who

sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, I am never lost, nor

is he ever lost to Me" (Gita 6:30).

 

For true peace and harmony, there needs to be understanding,

tolerance, and pluralism. Missionaries like Father D'Mello promote

their own exclusive views at the expense of other belief systems and

thereby create a cycle of distrust that ultimately leads to conflict.

 

Sincerely,

 

Swaminathan Venkataraman

Member, Executive Council

Hindu American Foundation

(www.hinduamericanfoundation.org)

 

http://www.hinduamericanfoundation.org/Content/Campaigns/campaigns_la

times_letter.html