Burnings of the Quran have been taking place in northern European countries over the last few years, specifically in Sweden and Denmark. Now, this hate has arrived in America, as a young man with the possible links to the Hindutva movement recently burned a copy of the Quran in the Chicago suburb of Naperville.
Naperville is home to more than 5,000 Indians. Many Muslims also reside in this suburb of 150,000 people with three existing masjids and another in the making.
When the new masjid was proposed in 2021, almost 500 Hindus in Naperville opposed its construction. Interestingly, they used the same excuses white Islamophobes have used to oppose the building of a house of worship in a country that guarantees freedom of worship and religion (e.g. “traffic”).
It is important to emphasize that Hinduism (religion and culture) is different from Hindutva which is a political and fascist ideology.
The highschooler who burned the Quran was also one of those who opposed it. How was he radicalized to this level? Is it the influence of school? Is it parents? Has he been to RSS youth camps?
The incident in Naperville needs to be seen as something larger, not just as a random occurrence.
It is also a serious matter since the FBI is warning Sikh-Americans of threats to their lives. This is in the wake of the assassination of a Sikh religious leader in Canada last June. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said he has evidence that Indian agents carried out the assassination.
Who were these assassins? Did they come from India and leave after finishing up their dirty job? Are they Canadians or Americans?
Meanwhile in India Hindu children are being radicalized intentionally and systematically. But is this happening in the US as well?
Hindutva exists in the United States. But will it lead to hate and violence here as it has in India?
Thinking Points
- RSS is the mother organization of the Hindutva movement, which has thrived on Islamophobia before the term Islamophobia was coined. Ironically, it wants to do to Muslims what Hitler did to Jews but is learning from Israel how to do it.
- In India, the RSS claims to organize 72,000+ training sessions every day with 600,000 people participating on a daily basis
- 60% of these RSS-training shakhas are students.
- In India, the RSS operates about 50,000 schools with four million students. But even many Indian public school textbooks foment hate. For example, a sixth grade book states the following:
“They (non-vegetarians) easily cheat, tell lies, they forget promises, they are dishonest and tell bad words, steal, fight and turn to violence and commit sex crimes.”
It explains in a matter-of-fact tone to 11-year-olds how people who eat meat are more prone to criminal behavior. They will have you believe that meat-eaters are susceptible to urges to resort to violence and enjoy cheating, swearing, and forgetting promises.
The original 6th grade textbook was later revoked. But this was done only after it was exposed on national news.
In the US, anti-Hindutva Indians privately say that almost all the Hindu weekend schools in the United States are run by RSS.
What is RSS teaching Hindu American children?
RSS operates in the US under different names. An Indian paper reports that the US has 172 RSS branches, the second highest number after Nepal.
This may play a role in the radicalization of some Hindus, as evidenced by the following:
- Indian media noted the presence of an Indian flag at the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol building.
- In May this year, a young Hindu man crashed a truck into a White House barrier, wanting to kill President Joe Biden.
- In Virginia there are photos of Hindu kids marching in formation as the RSS does in India.
- In New Jersey last year, pro- RSS Hindus paraded with a bulldozer during an Indian Independence Day parade. The bulldozer is a symbol of intimidation in India, where the government has bulldozed an estimated 5,000 Muslim homes without any process as a punishment for peaceful protest. There were Hindu children clapping at this vulgar threat to Muslims during the event.
- In Los Angeles, Muslims were attacked by Hindutva supporters during an Independence Day parade last year.
While there are more questions than answers here, one thing is clear: Hindutva has arrived in the United States and its violence has reached North America.
It was an RSS member who killed Gandhi. Indian agents are now accused of killing a Sikh leader in Canada.
There is a lethal mix in the making, where white nationalists are mixing Hindutva hate and violence with their deadly Nazism. The terrorist who killed 77 in Norway hailed Hindutva and praised RSS. The white nationalist who killed 49 Muslims in two Christchurch, New Zealand mosques in 2019 also hailed India's Hindu nationalist movement and praised Hindutva as a key ally in a global struggle to bring down democratic regimes across the world.
Talking Points
- Islamophobia is hate whether it is made in India or made in Europe
- Islamophobia kills and leads to persecution and genocide
- Indian Americans Hindus who support Hindutva cannot enjoy American liberalism here while pushing for Hindutva fascism in India.
- There are 4 types of neighbors in the Quran. A neighbor is a neighbor even if s/he is a Hindu. They have a right on us.
- Hinduism (religion and culture) is different from Hindutva which is a political fascist ideology.
Action Item:
- Call your elected leaders to pass Senator Jeff Merkley’s S. 831, the Transnational Repression Policy Act, as well as the companion Bill, H.R. 3654, Sponsored by Representative Christopher Smith (R, NJ-04) in the United States House of Representatives. It is critical to protect U.S. citizens from foreign interference.
- Download a report on the Nazification of India by Justice For All.
- Read a report issued at the U.S. Senate on how Islamophobia leads to persecution and genocide.
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