31st March 2023 – In a historic move, the Forsyth County in the state of Georgia, U.S. has passed a resolution condemning Hinduphobia and anti-Hindu bigotry. This is a ‘first-ever’ county resolution in the U.S. that defined Hinduphobia.
The resolution was introduced by Georgia state house representatives Lauren McDonald and Todd Jones.
The resolution defined Hinduphobia as this – “Hinduphobia,as described by the Understanding Hinduphobia Initiative, is a set of antagonistic, destructive and derogative attitudes and behaviors towards Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) and Hindus that may manifest as prejudice, fear or hatred.”
The resolution noted the below key points as well.
- There have been documented instances of hate crimes against Hindu Americans over the past few decades in several parts of the country;
- In July 2022, a report released by Rutgers University titled “Anti-Hindu Disinformation: A Case Study of Hinduphobia on Social Media” detailed how hate messages in social media translate into real life threats for people of Hindu faith;
- Hinduphobia is exacerbated and institutionalized by some in academia who support the dismantling of Hinduism and accuse its sacred texts and cultural practices of violence and suppression.
On the other hand, the resolution also noted the contributions of the American Hindu population.
- Hinduism is one the world’s largest and oldest religions with over 1.2 billion adherents in over 100 countries and which encompasses an array of diverse traditions and belief systems with values of acceptance, mutual respect, and peace;
- The American Hindu community has been a major contributor to diverse sectors such as medicine, science and engineering, information technology, hospitality, finance, academia, manufacturing, energy, retail trade, and so much more;
- Hindu contributions of Yoga, Ayurveda, meditation, food, music, arts, and more have enriched the cultural fabric and have been widely adopted in American society and enriched the lives of millions.
