Hindu temple vandalised in US, hate message spray-painted on wall

[Echo_419]

WASHINGTON: In an alarming incident of yet another case of intolerance in the United States, a Hindu temple was vandalised in Washington state and hate messages were sprayed on the temple walls, sending shock waves through the Indian-American community in the area, a Press Trust of India report said.

The incident has sent the local law enforcement authorities into a tizzy and has forced them into launching an investigation to bring to book the unidentified culprits. Some of the city’s top officials also visited the temple to take stock of the situation.

When members of the Hindu Temple Cultural Center in Bothell, 36 km from Seattle, went there on Sunday they found a swastika painted on it and "Get Out" scrawled in large letters with spray paint. The place of worship is said to be amongst the largest temples in north-west America. Hindus are celebrating Mahashivratri today.

The Hindu American Foundation has condemned the incident. Reports say that lately there have been several cases of vandalism of Hindu temples in the US.

The incident will come as a major egg on the face of American leadership, as just a few days ago US President Barack Obama had said that the ‘acts of intolerance’ experienced by religious faiths of all types in India in the past few years would have shocked Mahatma Gandhi. There has been a lot of debate over how the US first needs to put its own house in order before commenting on and giving sermons to others.

In the US, white supremacists have adopted the Nazi swastika as an ideological symbol. KING 5 TV, an NBC affiliated station in Seattle, said, "In Hinduism, swastikas signified peace long before it became a Nazi symbol. In this case, temple leaders say it's now being used not just to hurt their believers but a neighborhood."

The Bothell temple incident comes ten days after President Barack Obama criticised India at an inter-religious prayer meeting saying intolerance there "would have shocked Gandhiji."

"I was paranoid to say the truth, this just doesn't look right to me," temple member Jay Araman told Seattle's KIRO TV, a CBS affiliate.

"He fears the red graffiti, sprawled across the outside of the temple, could be a sign that someone is planning something violent," the station added. Echoing the fears, Thampipillai Thilakarjah told Q13 Fox TV station that his 11-year-old son was scared to visit the temple.

The Bothell Reporter newspaper reported that the incident was under investigation but no suspect has yet been identified according to Shari L. Ireton, a spokesperson for Snohomish County Sheriff.

"The timing of this crime, occurring before a major Hindu festival, warrants special attention from law enforcement," said Jay Kansara, Hindu American Foundation's Director of Government Relations. "We are encouraged by the ongoing thorough investigation of the Bothell City Police Department."

There has been a spate of anti-Hindu across the US in recent months. In August a murti of Shiva at the Vishwa Bhavan Hindu Mandir in Georgia state was desecrated with black paint. The phone lines of the temple in Monroe, near Georgia, were cut and graffiti wits hate messages were written on it. The local sheriff's office arrested two people in connection with the attack.

Between July and October in Loudon County in Virginia, police documented 17 separate incidents of anti-Hindu vandalism, HAF said.

In response to these attacks, the US Justice Department has mandated the inclusion of anti-Hindu hate crimes as a category in crime-reporting forms starting in January.
In an incident involving an Indian, but not directly linked to his religion, 57-year-old Sureshbhai Patel was attacked by a police officer in Madison in Alabama state and left partially paralysed. The officer was dismissed from the police force.

In Bothell, a government-run school was also defaced with a swastika and the words, "Muslims Get Out," according to Q13 Fox

Hindu temple vandalised in US, hate message spray-painted on wall - Yahoo News India

Obama should comment on this to

 

[Anubis]

There are nutjobs everywhere...US is no different!But the people there are far more welcoming than any other western countries!

 

[IndoCarib]

Don't worry about USA. Plenty of Indians would be lining up for the H1s. Worry about your own home.

Right! And Pakistanis too after burning US flag at home

 

[SelfServeFive]

American ghar wapsi! Revenge is sweet.

 

[SrNair]

US is peaceful and tolerant nation people from all religion go there to live peacefully Indian media should stop trying to makes scores out of this incident take a look at your country first.

If their house is not in order dont try to preach sermons to others.US medias also
scored a lots of points when Obama made that comment.
They are Indian Americans.So Indian Media has their own responsiblity .

There is difference between India and western countries they are more tolerant and its a fact.

Dont have enough time to look in to your own nation.But you have enough time to compare the tolerance level.in India and West.

 

[Hage Tado]

Hindus are over joyed when someone attack muslims in western countries, this is another proof that hindus will not be spared either. Those who hate muslims also hate hindus because hatered is racial and not religious.

Genda bhai...moti chamdi hai tumhari tabhi samajh nehi aa raha...have you seen the picture drawn by the culprits...the have written "MUSLIMS GO AWAY"..so the Hindus are poor victim of Islamophobia..just because of looks.

American ghar wasapi! Revenge is sweet.

Why do you sound so familiar??

 

[Kabira]

Genda bhai...moti chamdi hai tumhari tabhi samajh nehi aa raha...have you seen the picture drawn by the culprits...the have written "MUSLIMS GO AWAY"..so the Hindus are poor victim of Islamophobia..just because of looks.
?

Those who draw swastika are anti-hindu as well. They knew very well what they were doing. And that picture is not from temple but mosque.

 

[khujliwal]

Those who draw swastika are anti-hindu as well. They knew very well what they were doing. And that picture is not from temple but mosque.

Why gendaswamy why, it was just a cricket match. Why did your brothers do it?

 

[Hage Tado]

Those who draw swastika are anti-hindu as well. They knew very well what they were doing. And that picture is not from temple but mosque.

Do you know that Swasthika is Hindu sign too??...BTW those are looneys who are Islamophobic and will release their anger at any Pakistani looking man/women.

 

[Gibbs]

Most Muricans would not know the difference between Islam and Hinduism anyway as the graffiti shows

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

i think this lame-duck president Obama should lecture his own country on tolerance and strong inter religious harmony in USA before lecturing overseas country - developed, developing or otherwise

When members of the Hindu Temple Cultural Center in Bothell, 36 km from Seattle, went there on Sunday they found a swastika painted on it and "Get Out" scrawled in large letters with spray paint. The place of worship is said to be amongst the largest temples in north-west America. Hindus are celebrating Mahashivratri today.

ironically - the original swastika was a symbol used by buddhist, jains and hindus

 

[Kambojaric]

This should be a strong message to those misguided non Muslim brown people who think that Islamophobic parties/movements such as National Front in France or Pegida in Germany are just anti-Muslim. In reality they are anti- anything not white and European and as soon as all Muslims are deported from the West it will be the turn of Hindus, Sikhs etc. People with xenophobic mindsets today hide themselves under the banner of being Anti-Islamic (which is becoming more and more acceptable in western societies) but in reality they are xenophobic racists and will seek to get rid of anything and anyone whom they don't consider pure European.

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

Hindus are over joyed when someone attack muslims in western countries, this is another proof that hindus will not be spared either. Those who hate muslims also hate hindus because hatered is racial and not religious.

Sikh gurdwara also faced a deadly incident last year or was it year before that....seems US just has a serious problem with racism and intolerance. Seems they cant even control their trigger happy police forces lately.

 

[PlanetWarrior]

This should be a strong message to those misguided non Muslim brown people who think that Islamophobic parties/movements such as National Front in France or Pegida in Germany are just anti-Muslim. In reality they are anti- anything not white and European and as soon as all Muslims are deported from the West it will be the turn of Hindus, Sikhs etc. People with xenophobic mindsets today hide themselves under the banner of being Anti-Islamic (which is becoming more and more acceptable in western societies) but in reality they are xenophobic racists and will seek to get rid of anything and anyone whom they don't consider pure European.

You should also try telling that to those suckers from the Muslim community who join that forum called StormFront just to engage in the bashing of Jews. Little do they realize that those Nazi supporting rednecks hate Muslims more than Jews.

 

[Kabira]

Sikh gurdwara also faced a deadly incident last year or was it year before that....seems US just has a serious problem with racism and intolerance. Seems they cant even control their trigger happy police forces lately.

Yep, it will only take few minutes to verify if that place is mosque or gurdawara/hindu temple. But they don't care, all they see is foreigners.

You should also try telling that to those suckers from the Muslim community who join that forum called StormFront just to engage in the bashing of Jews. Little do they realize that those Nazi supporting rednecks hate Muslims more than Jews.

lol

Many years ago when i visited SF, it was full of hindus kissing white asses.