Protest! a controversial statement....

[Guest guest]

> I wanted to write a few words in support of Jahnu prabhu's

> point of view. He is touching on a very important point that

> ISKCON, which has many different aspects other than gurukula

> and a very vast-ranging membership other than gurukula

> students, is having all its activities and members held to

> ransom over the mis-handling within that one department.

>

> While I have all sympathy with those abused (because I went to

> a boarding school myself and was none too happy there) I have

> found in ISKCON something which takes me higher than the karma

> I was due.

>

> Thus my sympathy does not extend to condoning the court case,

> which attempts to destroy my activities in service to Srila

> Prabhupada and those of many thousands of others who never go

> near a gurukula (or those dedicated teachers and students in

> gurukulas around the world) but are active members of ISKCON in

> other areas. Two wrongs do not make a right.

>

> Jahnu prabhu writes:

> >Do

> > you think this is going to help ISKCON? The children who are

> > suing ISKCON are being instigated by the two most crazy and

> > envious defamers of ISKCON, Puranjana and Pratyatosa.

> > Pratyatosa is their contact to this famous lawyer. Have you

> > read their texts on use-net? They say that the whole ISKCON

> > and the GBC have been taken over by a scheming cult of

> > pedophiles.

>

> Puranjana told Tribhangananda prabhu in the UK that he wanted

> to destroy ISKCON. That is his motive. And the court case is

> about destroying ISKCON, not child abuse. The court case is

> only to financially penalise ISKCON and thus punish so many

> innocent ISKCON devotees unconnected with any gurukula

> activity, and those in gurukulas like Mother Rachitambara and

> many others who have never abused anyone and trained so many

> wonderful young devotees, and current gurukula students who are

> being treated well. It has nothing to do with punishing the

> perpetrators, it has nothing to do with preventing future child

> abuse (which the office of child protection is making a serious

> attempt to do) and it has nothing to do with councilling the

> abused.

>

> >just because I dare approach the issue

> > from a more philosophical angle and

> > suggest that we have to look at the whole situation in ISKCON

> > and not just stare ourselves blind at the child-abuse.

>

> I think this is important. Let's not become blinded to what

> ISKCON is (and can be) by the ghastly child-abuse. Let's put

> things in proportion. One aspect of ISKCON activities has

> caused great suffering to a significant (I suppose - I don't

> have the statistics) proportion of children where it should

> have caused happiness - let's help them, punish the offenders,

> and make as sure as possible it doesn't happen again. And not

> lose sight of the wood for the trees. "IF" (big if) child abuse

> has in the past been condoned by those who should know better,

> those who knew were not acting in Krishna consciousness.

> Similarily, to blanket punish all ISKCON members (especially

> those serving in gurukulas at present) with the bad name of

> child abusers and court cases, that is also wrong, and two

> wrongs do not make a right.

>

> >I don't have faith in all the

> > individuals of the GBC, but I do have faith that Srila

> > Prabhupada is present in the collective GBC. And that is not

> > empty faith.

> >

> > I think this is the real issue here. Child abuse is just a

> > divertion. Who wants child-abuse in ISKCON or is not

> > out-raged

> > about it? Do you think I don't hate those who abuse children?

>

> I agree that is the point. I don't know if I agree child abuse

> is "just" a diversion, but I think that is "just" the way Jahnu

> prabhu presents himself. Thinking that dealing properly with

> child abuse justifies financially crippling ISKCON's worldwide

> activities, however, is an unjustifiable position.

>

 

> Well, have you given his name to the child-abuse people? Why is

> he staying where there is a gurukula? Let us know what happens.

> These things are practical preventative measures.

 

The person in question has already been investigated by the

child-protection team, as far as I know. I don't know what was

their conclusion.

 

Ys, Jahnu das