How to respond to unfavourable press propoganda

[Guest guest]

> Yes, whenever strong and probable false statements are made against

> ISKCON are made, we can take defamation case against them.

 

Against who? Newspapers and TV?! Do you know how the communication system

works? We are talking about multinationals! Not just a newspaper.

[Guest guest]

At 18:38 -0700 7/10/2000, Babhru (das) ACBSP (San Diego - USA) wrote:

>Nayana-ranjana prabhu, do you intend this as some sort of response to

>reports fo the Turley firm's gurukula lawsuit?

 

I was wondering the same thing and hoping that Nayana-ranjana prabhu

would clarify. But so far he hasn't. Since most people who have

responded appear to feel that the post was indeed related to the

gurukula lawsuit, I'll add my $0.02:

 

Responding to an article that contains inaccurate information about

ISKCON is one thing, but to suggest that we bring defamation suits

and go on the attack against all those who report on the gurukula

lawsuit is quite another. Unfortunately, many of the charges of

abuse, neglect and molestation are true. To deny this would be not

only dishonest but also stupid. ISKCON has published many of the same

stories in its ICJ articles and the investigations and judgments by

the Child Protection Office are also available for any interested

party to read.

 

As far as I'm concerned, the best approach at this point is honesty:

Honesty about what happened, honesty about the lack of adequate

institutional response to date, as well as honesty about what has

been done by many dedicated devotees around the world who have worked

hard to:

1) set up structures to ensure that future generations of gurukula

children are safe

2) investigate past abuse and get judgments against the abusers

3) help victims get therapy, grants for tuition and other aid so that

they can begin putting their lives back together.

 

Lying about what happened isn't going to help anyone, not even

ISKCON, and going on the offense against those who are simply

reporting on this very sad chapter of ISKCON's history is a very bad

idea. Besides, I very much doubt that this is what Prabhupada had

in mind when he gave the quotes provided. For one thing he talks of

"unfair and slandereous propaganda", "false statements" and

"distorted" reports. That is hardly the case here.

 

Ys,

Madhusudani dasi