Dozens of Hindu groups have complained of “agenda-based attacks” during the past two years in Australia.
Hindu Council of Australia has released a statement claiming that these “attacks” are supported and abetted by some elected politicians from outside and inside the parliament.
The letter claims to have been endorsed by over 63 organisations from across Australia, including many Hindu temples.
The letter mentions Greens MLC David Shoebridge from the state of New South Wales, who had asked some questions in the state parliament’s budget estimates hearing.
Raising recent clashes between different groups in Sydney’s Indian community, Shoebridge asked NSW Minister of Multiculturalism Geof Lee about an incident where some Sikh youths were attacked in Sydney’s Harris Park.
Raising concerns about extremist Hindu nationalist groups, Shoebridge said, “I have not seen a single report of a violent act coming from any other part of the political spectrum from the Indian community other than the extremist right-wing Hindu nationalists’ part of the community.”
Hindu Council of Australia said they were concerned about what they called ‘baseless allegations’.
“Hinduism is a peace-loving and peace-promoting faith. It promotes and practices respect and tolerance for other faiths,” reads the statement.
“The recent unprovoked Hindu phobic attacks are based on phantom charges against the Australian Hindu community like caste-based discrimination and the dowry system as only a Hindu practice.
These phantom imputations have encouraged direct attacks, using abusive language, on various Hindus across Australia on social media, threat letters to community members by an international terrorist organisation causing harassment to the community.”
“All such attacks on members of the Australian Hindu community are propagating Hindu phobia and creating a damaging perception of our community.”
The ‘joint statement by the Hindu community in Australia’ requests David Shoebridge to “share evidence for his allegations to enable us as a law-abiding and responsible community to act on them.”
The community has also demanded the government and relevant agencies to “bring an end to this Hindu phobia and hate attacks” against the community.
It has also appealed to the Hindu community and other “kindred communities” to “work towards making Australia the place for all peace-loving people who believe in a fair go and the rule of law.
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