North Carolina Hindu temple sign hit with over 60 shotgun blasts

The Om Hindu Organization of North Carolina is planning to build a 3,600 sq ft temple in Clemmons and has bought 7.6 acres at the site where the sign board, which was shot at, was put. (Representative illustration)

Houston: A sign board for a planned Hindu temple in the US state of North Carolina has been fired at, leaving over 60 holes in the sign, prompting authorities to probe the incident that has shocked the Indian community.

The incident happened sometime between noon July 4 and about 1pm last Saturday, Forsyth county sheriff's office said in a report.

The sheriff's office is investigating the incident in which someone fired a shotgun at a sign for a planned Hindu temple, leaving more than 60 holes in the sign, it said.

A deputy found empty shell casings near the sign that were consistent with bird shot being fired two to three times from a shotgun, Winston-Salem Journal quoted chief deputy Brad Stanley of the sheriff's office as saying.

The sign suffered a damage of $200. Investigators have no leads or suspects, Stanley said.

The Om Hindu Organization of North Carolina is planning to build a 3,600 sq ft temple in Clemmons and has bought 7.6 acres at the site.

"We as American people are fighting hate, standing up to promote tolerance, respect and inclusion," Om Hindu said in a statement on Friday.

"We have no doubts that in long run we will be able to practice our religion and live peacefully in this region and work towards a pluralistic society."

The sheriff's office does not have any information that organization was targeted because of its faith, Stanley said.

"It appears just to be vandalism," he said, adding that police have increased its patrols in the area.

Manujunath Shamanna, a member of the organization's board of directors, said that his group first noticed the vandalised sign when its members visited the site last Saturday. The organization then reported it to the sheriff's office.

"It is very disappointing," Shamanna said of the damaged sign. "It could be some kids playing."

About 500 Indian families live in Forsyth county. The vandalism will not affect the organization's plan to build its temple, Shamanna said.

Former Clemmons mayor John Bost offered his apologies for the incident in a post on the paper's Facebook page.

The Reverend Christopher Burcham, pastor at Union Hill Baptist Church, said he and his wife were disappointed when they noticed the vandalized sign on Thursday. His church is about 275 metres from the site of the planned Hindu temple.

The incident comes at the heels of reports of vandalizing of North Texas Hindu Mandir in Dallas in April and vandalizing of two Hindu temples in Seattle metropolitan area of Washington State in February last.

President of Universal Society of Hinduism, Rajan Zed has demanded swift action against the culprits and said the incident has shocked the Hindu community in the US.

Yet, another Hindu temple vandalized in US Another temple attack in US spreads concern among Hindus Outrage in India after Hindu temple vandalized with hate message in US

Vandalization Of American Hindu Temples Universal Society Of Hinduism Shotgun Fired At US Hindu Temple Rajan Zed Om Hindu Organization

Indian man shot dead in Florida, 2 teenagers arrested Indian cardiologist shot dead in Texas 70 groups in US join hands to organise events on Yoga day Investments in India can now be committed without delay: Arun Jaitley Indian man attacked in apparent hate crime in New Jersey

“One can not live in harmony with idolatry nor Islam. One’s Biblical religion will eventually be erased from society.”

“Sorry, do not agree. I would order them all deported. I would give them time to liquidate assets, but all would be deported.”

Please see:

9 myths about Hinduism — debunked

By Moni Basu, CNN
April 25, 2014

Suhag Shukla knows that’s how some people outside Hinduism see her religion. As the head of the Hindu American Foundation http://hafsite.org/ , Shukla, 42, clarifies misconceptions all the time.

[...]

Myth No. 2: Hindus are idol worshippers.

Reality: Hindus worship a reminder of God.

No Hindu will say he or she is worshipping an idol. Instead, Hindus believe a physical representation of God – in the form of an idol - helps them focus on an aspect of prayer or meditation. For instance, a person who has just opened up a new business may worship Ganesh, the elephant god who represents success.

[...]

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2014/04/25/9-myths-about-hinduism-debunked/comment-page-1/

Forwarded article begins.

Idols and Icons: The Misrepresentation of Hinduism in the Press

By David Frawley, January 20, 1994

There are a number of terms that are applied to Hinduism in the Press, not only in the West but in India itself, which foster a negative image of it. Hindus are routinely called worshippers of idols, polytheists, and various other denigrating stereotypes, which do not reflect any intelligent examination of the religion itself but what is often an intentional campaign of misrepresentation and distortion.

All the religions of the world — with the general exception of Protestant Christians, Muslims and Jews — use some sort of images or statues in their religious worship. Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches abound with statues, paintings and pictures of various types. Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist and Shinto groups use them as well. Native American, African and Asian religions abound with them. The ancient religions of the entire world from Mexico to Greece, Egypt, Babylonia, Persia, India and China used images, as archeology so clearly reveals. The use of images appear as an integral part of human religious practices and no universal religion could be regarded as complete without them. Even many Protestant Christians have pictures of Jesus in their house or church, and Muslims often have pictures of their religious or political leaders, occasionally even depictions of Mohammed.

However, there is a strange dichotomy in how such religious imagesare judged. When they are part of the Christian tradition they are called icons and classified as works of art and regarded as sacred in nature. When they are part of non-Christian or pagan traditions they are called “idols,” which is a derogatory term that indicates not the sacred but mere superstition. In the case of native American and African images, even when done by a culture as advanced as the Mayas of Central America — which built great pyramids and had many great cities — they are lumped along with so-called primitive art.

An image of Christ as the good shepherd is called an icon and viewed with respect. An image of Krishna as the good cow herder — which is a similar image of the Divine as watching over the souls of men — is called an idol, which encourages one to look down on it. This is prejudice and negative stereotyping in language of the worst order. What Christian would accept calling a depiction of Christ an idol? Would Christian religious leaders approve of it in the press of Christian countries? What Christians in India would accept it? And would not the govemment and news media of India change the language in their favor? Yet Hindus routinely accept that depictions of their deities — who represent as high a standard in consciousness and ethical behavior as Christ — are demeaned as idols. The news media of India does this commonly, which encourages the Western news media to continue in this practice, which is part of their negative depiction of Hinduism.

To call such images as idols implies that those who worship them practice idolatry or take the image itself as a God. This adds yet more prejudice and error to this judgement. The use of an image -whether we call it an icon or an idol — does not imply belief in the reality of the image. That we keep a photograph of our wife and children at our work desk does not mean that we think our wife and children are the photograph. It is a reminder, not a false reality.

Moreover, the use of the term idol inflames the sentiments of anti-idolatry religions like Christianity and Islam, as both the Bible and the Koran, at least in places, instruct their followers to oppose idolaters and smash their temples and images. The use of the term idol in the press, particularly in the Indian press, is thus careless, insensitive, inflammatory, and communal. It should be removed in an effort to promote greater understanding and good will between religious groups. The use of such terms indicates that the news media of India uncritically and unnecessarily uses terms that encourage anti-Hindu attitudes. It is a hold over from the British rule in the intellectual sphere, even though the British have long left the country. What majority community in the world is so unaware of its new media to allow such practices to continue? Yet this issue only reflects many other prejudicial terms like Hindu chauvinism, Hindu fundamentalism, and Hindu militancy which the often anti-Hindu Indian news media frequently uses, while at the same time not using them in regard to Islam and Christianity, even when they are much more appropriate relative to the exclusivistic attitudes and greater intolerance of these belief-oriented religions.

Using such terms as idols, the news media is not fostering communication but promoting discrimination and violence. Such abuse of language should be challenged and replaced wherever it is found, whether relative to Hindus or anyone else.

[Above article was given to Hindu Students Council (An International Forum To Provide opportinity to learn Hindu Heritage) for publicity]

Forwarded article ends.

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