The Georgia Assembly passed a resolution denouncing Hinduphobia, making it the first state in America to do so.
Hinduism is one of the oldest and largest religions in the world, with more than 1.2 billion followers in more than 100 countries. The resolution condemning Hinduphobia and anti-Hindu bigotry noted that Hinduism encompasses a variety of diverse traditions and belief systems with values of acceptance, mutual respect, and peace.
Representatives Lauren McDonald and Todd Jones from Forsyth County, a suburb of Atlanta home to one of Georgia’s largest Hindu and Indian-American diaspora groups, presented the resolution.
The resolution noted that the American-Hindu community had made significant contributions to many different industries, including manufacturing, energy, retail trade, academia, science and engineering, information technology, hospitality, finance, and others.
It also mentioned how the community’s contributions of yoga, ayurveda, meditation, food, music, and the arts have enriched American society, been widely adopted, and improved the lives of millions of people.
The resolution acknowledged that there had been documented cases of hate crimes against Hindu Americans over the past few decades in many parts of the US and claimed that some intellectuals who support the deconstruction of Hinduism and charge its sacred texts and cultural norms with violence and oppression have exacerbated and institutionalised Hinduphobia.
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