Israel has been making alliances with Hindutva since the 1960s

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In the article below we see Israel was forming ties with Hindutva in the 1960s.  Jews are very good long-term planners... the Noahide Laws are a 1600-year-long conspiracy.

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-03-08/ty-article-magazine/.premium/the-india-file-israels-warm-ties-with-the-indian-far-right-began-decades-before-modi/0000018e-19a9-d7d3-abce-79a999a10000

The India File: Israel's Warm Ties With the Indian Far Right Began Decades Before Modi

Eitay Mack

Mar 8, 2024 4:01

Thousands of Israeli documents recently made available to the public reveal how, from the mid-1960s onward, Israel forged relations with Hindu nationalist parties in India – even though Israeli diplomats knew they were dealing with extremists driven by hatred of Muslims

Noahide American Jewish Committee (AJC) says Hindus view themselves as the "new Jews"

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Nissim Reuben, program director for Indian-Jewish American relations at the Noahide American Jewish Committee’s Asia Pacific Institute says that because of their academic and monetary success, Hindus view themselves as the "new Jews", not a minority but a small elite. The American Jewish Committee is a Noahide organization (here). Hindus are now the wealthiest and most educated religious group in America and have increased their share of power in many fields, including politics, education, entertainment, banking, medicine, media, and more; just like Noahidist Jewry.  Hindus, like Jews, are gaining a disproportionate amount of power and are working with Noahidist organizations to subvert our nation into a Judeo-Hindu Noahide madhouse with a Kabbalistic-Vedantic spirituality to quell and drug the masses (here, here, and here).

https://newvoices.org/2013/04/24/interfaith-gathering-highlights-hindu-jewish-relationship/

What do Hindus and Jews Have in Common? A Lot

Gabe Weinstein • April 24, 2013 • Campus & Community

“Lead us from the unreal to the Real; Lead us from darkness to Light; Lead us from death to Immortality,” the audience repeated after the speaker. Though they were there to memorialize the Holocaust, their words did not come from the Torah, nor are they found in Christian Bible or the Quran.

The prayer came from the Brahadaranyakopanisad, one of the Upanishads, a series of ancient philosophical works central to Hinduism.

“It’s one of the most sacred texts in Hinduism,” explained Rajan Zed, who led the University of Nevada-Reno’s Holocaust Remembrance Day audience in a recitation of the scripture. Zed, the president of the Universal Society of Hinduism, participated in the event along with Jewish, Buddhist and Christian clergy. “I chose the text as a way to honor those people who had died and suffered, whose lives were changed forever.”

The major differences between Hinduism and Judaism—two religions with divergent views about theism and sacred images—have come to overshadow the many similarities between the two religions and their accompanying cultures, wrote Barbara Holdrege, a professor of Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Holdrege also authored “Veda and Torah,” in which she notes that both religions are comprised of many sects, have priesthoods, notions of purity and impurity and vast legal codes.

Zed added that Hinduism and Judaism both emphasize family institutions, have dietary laws and designate sacred languages for prayer. These similarities have allowed India’s Jewish community to live in harmony with India’s Hindu community for nearly 2,000 years.

According to Nissim Reuben, program director for Indian-Jewish American relations at the American Jewish Committee’s Asia Pacific Institute, Hindu and Jewish communities in America share mutual successes in academia, business and culture—in addition to religious similarities—which have drawn them closer.

“The Hindu community, particularly Hindus from India or of Indian origin, sees themselves as the new Jews,” Reuben said. “Both Jews and Hindus are dedicated, loyal, and focus on family and education. Indian-American Hindus have the same attachment to their motherland, India, as Jews do to Israel.”

With a strong and well-respected voice in the American life, the Jewish community serves as a model minority group for American Hindus, said Jay Kansara, the associate director of the Hindu American Foundation.

“The Hindu community finds a role model for advocacy, political activism—small in numbers but large in impact,” he said. “As a community in small numbers we would like to voice our opinion and exert strength like the Jewish community.”

Relations between the Hindu and Jewish communities have taken off internationally since 2007, when representatives from the AJC, the Hindu American Foundation, Israel’s chief rabbi and Indian Hindu leaders met in New Delhi for a summit organized by the World Council of Religious Leaders. The conference was aimed at eliminating confusion about the beliefs of the two religions. The original summit was followed by two more in 2008 in Jerusalem and a third in 2011 again in New Delhi.

The increase in relations between the Hindu and Jewish communities has been a boon for commercial ties between Israel and India. In an interview with the Hindustan Times in 2012, Israeli ambassador to India Alon Ushpiz said trade between the two countries had vaulted from $180 million in 1992, the year the two countries officially normalized relations, to about $5 billion in 2011. Reuben said Israel is now India’s second largest supplier of arms. He is working on ways to drum up more business between the two countries.

As partnerships between the two faiths have steadily increased, there has been a surge of interest in interfaith efforts on the grassroots level. Steve Brody was inspired to organize a Hindu-Jewish interfaith event at Adat Shalom synagogue in Bethesda, Md., after speaking with a Hindu friend he knew from the space industry.

The event, titled “A Jewish Hindu Evening of Exploration!” featured a slideshow of images from space accompanied by readings from the Torah and the Bhagavad Gita, one of Hinduism’s holy scriptures. The reading was followed by a dialogue between Adat Shalom’s Rabbi Sidney Schwarz and Anuttama Das, a religious leader at the Hare Krishna temple in Potomac, Md. The evening was capped off with a performance by Hinjew, alongside Hannah Spiro. Hinjew is a band formed at the University of Virginia that specializes in traditional Indian music.

“The community warmly embraced the idea and had a healthy dose of curiosity,” Brody said. “I was really impressed with openness and kindness of [the] Hindu faith. It was a great experience for me. It was personally rewarding and I was very pleased and humbled by the comments about the value it provided to both Jewish and Hindu participants.”

A few miles away from the congregation at the Indian Embassy, Reuben and the AJC have collaborated with the Indian embassy for an annual Chanukah party every year since 2002. Reuben, an Indian Jew originally from Ahmedabad, India, said in an email that the party grew out of a conversation his father, Benjamin Reuben, had at a 2002 dinner party with India’s then ambassador to the United States Lalit Mansingh. The elder Reuben suggested that a Chanukah party would be a great way to highlight India’s vibrant Jewish heritage. Each year at the event Nissim Reuben recites Chanukah prayers Indian Jewry use in their Chanukah celebrations.

Zed has been collaborating with Jewish leaders in Nevada for years. Daniel Sanchez, a student at the University of Nevada and president of the Interfaith Student Club, said Zed’s participation in the event brought another perspective to the ceremony and more importantly, continued to break down barriers between the two communities. “It reduces the amount of space,” he said.

Hindu American Foundation implies those drawn to Hinduism for its "idol-worship" are misunderstanding

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The Hindu American Foundation has made it clear they are not idol worshippers and that their murti puja is Noahide-compliant (here and here).  In this article, they reiterate this statement and say that the idea that Hinduism is "idol-worship" is a "perception" and that non-Hindus who are drawn to Hinduism's seeming idolatry are "unable to separate Hinduism the religion from cultural or social practices".  Many Hindus definitely believe that god does not take shape (here), whether or not they have been influenced by Noahide organizations like The Hindu American Foundation has been. Polytheists and idolaters need to understand that we have nothing in common with Hindus who don't want to be associated with us but the Noahide Laws. 

https://www.hinduamerican.org/blog/how-the-new-anti-semitism-can-provide-insight-into-hinduphobia/

How the New Anti-Semitism Can Provide Insight Into Hinduphobia

By Murali Balaji

May 15, 2014

  

The Anti-Defamation League’s “Global 100” study released this week not only gives us a comprehensive understanding of the new anti-Semitism, it provides context into the nature of contemporary Hinduphobia: subtle, often unintentional, and yet depressingly pervasive.

The study, which resulted from surveys conducted in 101 countries and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, showed that a quarter of the world’s population held anti-Semitic views. The people who responded with negative views might not have considered themselves negative or hateful; instead, stereotypes and misrepresentations about a religion can breed deeply entrenched biases.

Anti-Semitism hasn’t been as prominent in the United States in recent years, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. As the ADL study showed, even people with positive feelings about Jews hold stereotypical views that can be seen as anti-Semitic. For example, almost a third of Americans believe that Jews are more loyal to Israel than the United States, while almost a quarter feel that Jews talk too much about the Holocaust. While the respondents might not have seen their views as offensive, for many Jews, it’s a reminder that they are still viewed as Others.

The ADL study has its methodological limitations, especially since the questions in the poll did not reveal respondents’ intent. Still, it provides us with a useful look at how to gauge Hinduphobia, since many Americans with Hinduphobic attitudes don’t realize that their views are offensive or biased against Hindus.

Like anti-Semitism, Hinduphobia doesn’t have to be malicious. Many non-Hindus views our religion as exotic, while others seem curiously drawn to what they perceive to be our idol-worshiping or overly ritualistic ways. Even the most well-intentioned folks are still unable to separate Hinduism the religion from cultural or social practices, leading to questions such as “Do all Hindus get arranged marriages?”

Those views aren’t limited to lay individuals. Many of the biases against Hindus repeat themselves in educational representations about Hinduism. Textbooks have long misrepresented Hinduism, but some examples stand out. One recent textbook stated that “Hindus have many colorful gods and goddesses,” seemingly equating Hindu forms of the divine to a Pokemon collection. Even if the author’s intent was to compliment, the tone of the depiction could be seen as quite Hinduphobic. Another book implied that Hinduism had not carried much influence outside of the Indian subcontinent, which trivializes – to a ridiculous extent – the Hindu diaspora in Southeast Asia, the West Indies, Africa, and the West, and the contributions Hindu philosophy has made to global thought and practice for thousands of years. And for the millions of non-Hindus who religiously practice yoga? You’re welcome.

Jewish American groups have made significant strides in recent years to fight anti-Semitic content in textbooks, and their efforts have helped to shape more constructive understandings about Judaism. The Jewish-American experience isn’t tied to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, nor is it defined by one profession or walk of life. Similarly, the expanse of Hinduism and the global Hindu diaspora should never be limited to India (or its politics) or homogenized through stereotypes and biases. Perhaps the ADL study and Jewish-American efforts to combat anti-Semitism (both in attitudes and content depictions) can serve as a model for Hindu-Americans wishing to fight for pluralism and a more constructively robust understanding of who we are.

Hindu American Foundation organizes with Noahide-pushing Chabad

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In December 2023, the Hindu American Foundation organized with Chabad to create a rally for Israel after the Hamas attack.  The Hindu American Foundation has already accepted the Noahide Laws (here). However, now they are in league with Chabad, the most egregious player in the push for Noahide Law worldwide.  Chabad was behind the passing of many public proclamations stating that the United States was founded upon the Noahide Laws (here). Chabad's late leader Rabbi Schneerson who was the force behind the push for Noahide Law worldwide stated that non-Jews have satanic souls (here).

https://www.hinduamerican.org/blog/norcal-jewish-solidarity

Of Friendship and Solidarity with the Jews- HAF on the ground in Northern California

By Sangeetha Shankar

December 20, 2023

Namaste and Shalom! Wishing all of our Jewish friends a very Happy and Blessed Hanukkah! It’s definitely a trying time for celebrations but we must find our joys, courage and resilience. The Hindu American Foundation has been actively involved in providing support and solidarity to our Jewish friends across the US since the October 7th brutal terrorist attacks on Israel. I had the honor of representing HAF at three events across Northern California since October 7th. HAF’s participation in these events are a part of our ongoing work in supporting and collaborating with our Jewish communities in fighting anti-semitism and Hinduphobia. 

On October 10th, along with several other Hindu Americans in Greater Sacramento, HAF participated in the solidarity event organized by a local Chabad synagogue in Rocklin county. It was an unusually rainy October day as though even the heavens poured out their tears. The event was attended by local Assemblymembers Joe Patterson and Josh Hoover, who strongly condemned the Hamas attacks. The rabbi gave a huge shout-out to the Hindu American attendees and acknowledged our support and friendship. As the rabbi closed the event with calls for courage and faith, my resolve to do more for the Jewish communities became stronger. It was all of surreal, tragic and unbelievable that the biggest attack on Israel post Holocaust happened in my day and age, something I would have never imagined as a school child learning about the Holocaust. History truly repeats itself and never learns!

On Dec 6th, HAF Advisory Board member Rutvij Holay and I, represented HAF in a panel discussion at the Hindu-Jewish Solidarity event at Stanford University. The five panelists including Stanford students discussed the commonalities between Hinduism and Judaism, how we can support each other in tragedies, and the work we do via our orgs and communities. The riveting, fact-based discussions led to a lot of laughs, tears, anger, happiness and hope amongst the Hindu and Jewish attendees. I felt such deep warmth and connection to everyone there, like I’ve known them for ages. Our commonalities between our culture, faith, divinity and tragedies are so strong that we are bonded even as strangers. My heart wept hearing the stories, more so knowing that every single crime that Israel has to fight has already been fought by my Hindu ancestors. District CA-16 US Congressional candidate Rishi Kumar honored us as the chief guest and shared his views on our struggles facing Hinduphobia and the history of terror attacks back in India.

The startling antisemitic sentiments, apathy in American Ivy Leagues and many colleges in the US, as seen in the recent Congressional hearings was also discussed. Panelists shared about posters of the hostages being stolen from the Israeli tent and how rape victims’ stories were laughed at in previous discussions. Stanford University did nothing! It’s silence from day one of the Oct 7th attack is deafening and shameful.

HAF is extremely grateful to its Jewish allies for the phenomenal support we have received in fighting Hinduphobia. We strongly condemn the Hamas attacks and any form of antisemitism and call out all academic institutions who are either supporting anti-semitism or are being silent. This has to stop!

I came out of the solidarity event feeling rage both as a Hindu, a woman and also as an advocacy professional. As a woman especially, I felt the pain even more given how much Hindu women have had to suffer in the form of rape, forced conversions and indoctrination into harems, during the onslaught of invasions sponsored by the Sultanate and Caliphate from 900-1707. While talking to many Jewish moms and women, I felt an undeniable deep agony. We are and continue to be the “booty” after all, for our oppressors! My Hindu women ancestors have undergone terrible atrocities which led to practices like jauhar in the western princely kingdoms of the Rajputs. Jauhar is the practice of mass self-immolation where women mostly, queens and other royal women would choose to sacrifice themselves in the fire, rather than be in the oppressors’ haram when their kingdoms were defeated. 

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/a-wrong-sense-of-honour-the-disturbing-glorification-of-jauhar-in-padmini-s-chittorgarh/story-JojhRZe4pBCEaeg4zyxCNM.html

I cried recently when watching the video of a Jew father who was thankful for hearing about his eight year old daughter’s death in the Hamas attacks rather than being their sex slave. 

In the future, I would really want to have an event for women, by women, focussing on what it is to experience war crimes and terrorist attacks as Hindu/Jewish women and how we can support each other. We need a safe space to vent and heal for sure.

The panel discussions also gave me a lot of hope. After all, the Hindu and Jewish communities have shown exemplar resilience, courage and focus on progress inspite of their tumultuous, genocide ridden histories. We have fought with fake media narratives, whitewashed histories, bullying, shaming, false accusations and lack of international support from day one. What struck me the most was the presence of many Hindu and Jew students and youth at the panel discussion. 

Finally on December 12th, my colleague Ramya Ramakrishnan, HAF National Outreach Director, and I attended the Diplomats’ Hanukkah event organized by AJC at the iconic Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco.

Diplomats from 22 countries attended the beautiful, solemn and deeply moving event. Photos of the hostages were stuck behind each chair. The mood in the room was definitely heart-wrenching to begin with. We met many colleagues from StandWith Us with whom HAF has done fantastic work before in fighting anti-semitism and Hinduphobia as seen in this YouTube series: HAF + StandWithUs: Shining a Light on Antisemitism and Hinduphobia

Matan Zamir, Deputy Consul of Israel for the Northwest Pacific region spoke about growing antisemitism in the US and how it’s all become a play of narratives. He pointed to the most pressing challenge that Jews face now due to the false media narratives — that of Israel having no connection to Judaism. The effort to disengage the Jews from their motherland is the hardest to fight. 

The highlight of the event was the recognition of young Jewish leaders who went out of their way to support their Jewish communities post October 7th. One of them was a high schooler who vowed to fight anti-semitism in his college campus in the future. 

Finally diplomats were called on stage to introduce themselves and say “Hope” in their mother tongue and light the menorah candles one by one. At the center was a beautiful menorah with each leg designed as a statue of liberty. Prayers and the Israeli national anthem were sung in remembrance of those lost and also for the safe return of 135 hostages. As I stood there listening to the national anthem, I couldn’t help but tear up. Why do both Hindus and Jews who don’t believe in forcible conversions, have to be constantly fighting for protecting their faith and it’s land of origin? Will this ever stop? These and many more questions plagued me as I walked out of this deeply moving, inspiring and solemn celebration of everything Israel and Jewish communities. 

Nevertheless, the resolve to protect our faiths from hatred only grew stronger within me. No matter what, the Hindu Americans and Jewish Americans are here to make a mark, be thriving, happy, engaged and proud communities steeped in our faith, culture and love for our land of origin and faith. 

Lastly and most importantly, our Co-Founder and Executive Director Suhag Shukla was honored to join Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, US Senator Bob Casey, Pennsylvania State Rep. Martina White, the Philadelphia Jewish community, and friends of all backgrounds at the #RallyAgainstAntiSemitism  on Sunday, December 10th at the beautiful, historic Congregation Rodeph Shalom  in Philadelphia. Here is her speech and HAF’s press release from the event. 

HAF stands strongly in solidarity with our Jewish brothers and sisters in their fight against terrorism. We know very well that the silence of our friends hurts more than the words of our enemies and we shall never commit that blunder. We shall continue to collaborate with organizations like StandWithUs, American Jewish Committee (AJC), Anti-Defamation League etc… to combat anti-semitism and Hinduphobia in corporations, academia and legislature. 

Am Israel Chai! Happy Hanukkah once again!

Hindu American Foundation's definition of Hindu "idolatry" (murti puja) makes it Noahide-compliant

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A while ago I did an interview with a Hindu who said that in Hinduism, god does not take physical shape or inhabit physical objects (here) and it was because of this principle that at first he accepted the Noahides Laws (he has now abandoned his acceptance).  However, the Hindu American Foundation, which is Noahide-compliant (here), has defined "idol worship" in Hinduism as also being Noahide-compliant, with the ultimate absolute god Brahman not taking shape in the idol but being an immaterial presence. Hinduism is not a friend of traditional idolaters and polytheists and is Noahide by nature, that is why so many Hindus are accepting the Noahide Laws and seeking to be declared non-idolatrous by Rabbis. 

https://www.hinduamerican.org/blog/what-idolatry-means-in-hinduism/

What Idolatry Means in Hinduism

By Shuvi Jha

July 3, 2018

  

Idolatry refers to the worship of a tangible idol, such as a statue or an icon. In Abrahamic religions, idolatry denotes the worship of something other than God — a false God, to be exact (note: there is some leniency in this, as some branches of Christianity permit the use of holy paintings and images of Christ on the cross). This belief is expressed in the Bible in Leviticus 26:1-2: “Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the Lord your God. Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary.”

But in Hinduism, idols (murti) are worshipped as reminders of God. For example, every year, in Mumbai, Hindus bring clay images of Lord Ganesha to their homes, and worship him for a day or two before immersing the image in the sea. The ritual includes veneration (aradhana) which involves welcoming the divine, bathing him, offering him food, clothes, perfumes, lamps, incense, and finally words of praise. Here, the idol is seen as a vehicle — a physical, tangible carrier — of God.

Thus, an important point is made: Hindus don’t worship idols, believing them to be Gods. Rather, they view the statues and images as physical representations of God to help them focus on an aspect of prayer or meditation. This tradition is reflected in Verse 12.5 of the Bhagavad Gita, which states that only a few have the time and mind to ponder and fix on the unmanifested Absolute (abstract formless Brahman). As such, it is much easier to focus on qualities, virtues, aspects of a manifested representation of God through one’s senses, emotions and heart, because of the way human beings naturally are.

Furthermore, it is important to note that a murti in Hinduism is a form and manifestation of the omnipotent Brahman. Thus, a literal translation of murti as idol is incorrect, for Brahman is not actually confined to the idol. Additionally, Hindus believe that any object is worthy of worship, as it contains divine energy. Whether that be a slab of stone or a mosaic, the idols are designed with embedded symbolism, which set the style, proportion, colors, and legends associated with the deity.

For example, Lord Shiva may be represented as a masculine idol with a third eye on his forehead, as a half-man, half-women figure called ardhanarishvara, or as a Lingam statue. Regardless of his representation, worshippers will perform devotional practices around the statue, as they do with all idols. They will sing community hymns, bhajans, kirtans and aartis, expressing their devotion to the specific deity.

These practices often occur in Hindu temples, which are usually structured around a single murti. These murtis are treated as revered guests, and the daily routine includes awakening the murti in the morning and making sure that it is washed, dressed, and garlanded.

In my home alone, my mother begins the day by lighting the diya and awakening the gods in our mini-temple. The light illuminated is a sign, at least to me, that God is here in his intangible form, in this room with me.

 

Hindu American Foundation joins with Zionist and Noahidist-employing organizations to protest UN report on Palestine

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On October 27th, 2022, The Hindu American Foundation (HAF), which supports the Noahide Laws (here), joined with Zionist organizations and the Noahidist-employing Simon Wiesenthal Center (here) to protest the United Nation's human rights report on Israel.  Most right-wing Hindus are Zionists and will do anything to stop any real criticism of the Jewish state. 

https://www.standwithus.com/post/press-conference-against-unhrc

Oct 28, 2022

Press Conference against UNHRC at UN October 27, 2022

Updated: Oct 31, 2022

(October 27, 2022) — Dozens of organizations sponsored a press conference to express their collective outrage against the kangaroo court and modern-day antisemitism of the United Nations Human Rights Council's (UNHRC) “Commission of Inquiry” The conference was held prior to chair Navi Pillay presenting its finding to the General Assembly.

StandWithUs, in partnership with the following organizations, hosted a press conference regarding the modern-day antisemitism of the United Nations Human Rights Council's Commission of Inquiry.

SPONSORING ORGANIZATIONS:

Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity, Alums for Campus Fairness, American Zionist Movement, B'nai B'rith International, Club Z, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Eagles' Wings Ministries, #EndJewHatred, Endowment for Middle East Truth, Hadassah, Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Hindu American Foundation, Human Rights Voices, International Legal Forum, Israeli American Council (IAC), Israeli-American Coalition For Action, Israel Forever Foundation, Institute for Black Solidarity With Israel (IBSI), Israel Christian Nexus, Jewish Federations of North America, Jewish Council for Public Affairs, JNGOs to Reform UNRWA, The Lawfare Project, NGO Monitor, Reut Group, RI Coalition for Israel, Scholars for Peace in the Middle East, Shurat HaDin, Simon Wiesenthal Center, South African Friends of Israel, South African Zionist Federation, StandWithUs Center for Combating Antisemitism, StandWithUs Saidoff Legal Department, Students Supporting Israel, UK Lawyers for Israel, Zionist Organization of America.

 

Hindus object to being called polytheists in school textbook, they want to be a monotheistic Noahide faith

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Several Hindu groups have been trying to remove the description of Hinduism being a polytheistic faith in USA school textbooks, including the Noahide-supporting "Hindu American Foundation" (HAF) (here).  Hindus have worked hard with Jewish scholars to be recognized as being monotheistic and non-idolatrous, they don't want to be associated with plural deities like White European pagans are. Swami Dayananda Saraswati was ashamed to be called an "idol-worshiper" and so worked with the Chief Rabbi of Israel to have this term lifted from Hindus in religious Jewish circles (here). White polytheists need to see that Hindus are not their friends and are seeking alignment only with the Jews. 

https://rpl.hds.harvard.edu/religion-context/case-studies/minority-america/hindus-american-textbooks

Hindus in American Textbooks

HINDUISM CASE STUDY – MINORITY IN AMERICA | 2018

There are around 2.5 million Hindus in the US, most of whom are relatively recent immigrants. Few Hindus lived in the US until national quotas on immigrants were removed in 1965, beginning successive waves of Hindu immigration, largely from India.  

Partially because Hindus are only recently common in the US, their beliefs are often misunderstood by other Americans.  American Hindus have often been deeply concerned by the disrespect that businesses and the entertainment industry have shown to their faith; Hinduism has often been commercialized or misused in public discourse.  Many have also been concerned about a lack of recognition as part of the American fabric in the political sphere.   However, while religious and cultural discrimination against the American Hindu community is real, Indian immigrants—most of whom are Hindu—are the wealthiest immigrant group in the US and are generally highly educated. 

In the early 2000s, some American Hindus organized to stop perceived discrimination against them in American public school books.  Protests against these textbooks were lodged in Virginia, California, and Texas.  The situation in California became particularly contentious, as different Hindus—while generally agreeing that the textbooks must change—disagreed on how to represent their diverse tradition.  In addition, due to California’s large population, textbooks approved by the state are often used in many other states, meaning that changes to California’s textbooks affect a much larger population. 

There was little disagreement that California’s textbooks contained serious errors, falsehoods, and a lack of respect for Hinduism.  For example, a textbook incorrectly claimed that the Hindi language is written in Arabic script—it is written in Sanskrit Devnagari script.  A photo caption misidentified an Indian Muslim as a Brahman priest.  A section on Hindu vegetarian beliefs was disrespectfully titled, “Where’s the Beef?” and other sections made light of important figures in Hindu scriptures.   Addressing these problems was uncontroversial.  However, the Vedic Foundation (VF) and Hindu Education Foundation (HEF)—the Hindu groups who proposed these changes—also asked the California Board of Education (CBE) to remove or rewrite other significant sections.  These changes included rewriting widely accepted scholarship about Indian history and eliminating references to polytheism, Hindu patriarchy, Hindu connections to the caste system, and Dalits—also known as “Untouchables.”   Members of these organizations claimed the textbooks were focusing only on negative aspects of Hinduism while not doing the same for other religions.  Believing in the expertise of these Hindu groups, after hearing these recommendations the CBE approved all of the VF and HEF requests. 

Soon however, many American Hindus and academics complained that this was unacceptable.  Some Hindus pointed out that the VF and HEF were promoting a representation of Hinduism specific to upper caste North Indians which they did not share.   For example, many Hindu Dalits claimed the edits would erase their own history; some testified to the CBE that Dalits still suffer due to their low caste today.  Similarly, critics accused the VF and HEF of attempting to erase real patriarchal history in Hinduism.  Opponents also pointed out VF and HEF ties to Hindutva—conservative Hindu nationalist organizations in India which have tried and failed to make similar textbook changes there.  Hindutva, they argued, have a biased political agenda to represent Hinduism in a way that undermines established scholarship and presents the religion in a solely positive light.  They were concerned that Hindutva groups wanted to silence minority voices and present an idealized, false representation of Hinduism. 

After thousands of often contradictory testimonies from different Hindus and academics of Hinduism, the CBE made their decision in 2006.  While many of the VF and HEF edits were accepted, most requests to rewrite sections and delete references to patriarchy, caste, and polytheism were rejected.  However, the debate raged on, as the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), another group with Hindutva ties, promptly sued the state to force the changes.   The HAF lost, but debates on the portrayal of Hinduism in textbooks continue.  In 2016, the VF, HEF, and HAF renewed their fight, arguing Hinduism was still being unfairly treated in textbooks.  This time, the HAF worked to stop wording changes which involved changing “ancient India” to “ancient South Asia” which some argued should be done to reflect the fact that ancient India includes the modern nations of Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal.  The HAF successfully enlisted Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu member of Congress to support this point.  They also continued to try to remove caste from the books, sparking the same fight with Dalit groups.  The results of 2016 debates were similarly mixed.  While caste remained, so did references to “ancient India.”  And like 2006, shortly after the decision, Hindu groups sued the state in 2017 to continue the debate.   There is thus no end in sight as Hindus, school officials, and religious studies scholars debate how to respectfully and accurately represent a diverse, complex tradition in US schools.