15.Memorandum submitted by the Hindu Forum
of Britain
1. INTRODUCTION
TO THE
HINDU FORUM
OF BRITAIN
1.1. The Hindu Forum of Britain (HFB) is
the largest representative body for British Hindus with over 230
Hindu organisations formally affiliated to it.
1.2. HFB works closely with government departments,
service providers and other stakeholders to consult the Hindu
community on service delivery and policy issues affecting British
Hindus. HFB also works closely with other faith communities to
engage in constructive dialogue and nation building.
2. BACKGROUND
2.1. There are over 700,000 Hindus living
in Britain. The Hindu population has integrated into British society
with high levels of employment and education, a very low rate
of crime and substantial economic and cultural contributions to
this country.
2.2. The Hindu population is concentrated
in London, Leicester, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Bradford
and elsewhere. It is perhaps the most dispersed population among
the ethnic minorities.
2.3. The Hindu religion is inclusive and
actively promotes the values of non-violence, peaceful co-existence
and respect for other religions.
3. THE THREAT
OF TERRORISM
3.1. Extremist ideologies arising from religious
or political beliefs have become a cause of concern for the HFB
and its member organisations. Such ideologies have been the breeding
ground for incitement to hatred and terrorism. The threat of religious
terrorism is the greatest danger for the security of Britain.
3.2. The threat arising from international
terrorism remains real and serious. International terrorists have
in several statements specifically named the United Kingdom and
British interests as targets, and encouraged attacks to be carried
out against the country. International terrorists and supporters
of affiliated groups or those that share such ideologies are known
to be active in the UK.
3.3. International terrorist groups are
known to raise funds in the UK and often under the cover of charities.
3.4. The public perception of faith communities
has been affected by some of the more visible and vocal groups
of religious extremists. They have created negative stereotypes
of entire communities. Religious terrorism is different from the
religion it purports to represent, and many of these groups are
not always supported by a majority of the people from those faith
communities.
3.5. Violent events outside Britain, in
particular in the Indian sub-continent, have often resulted in
increasing polarisation between Hindu and Muslim communities in
Britain.
3.6. The Home Secretary has given assurances
in Parliament that the Government is aware of concerns in all
communities about the threat from terrorism to the UK and its
interests. The Home Secretary has had regular meetings with the
leaders of some faith and ethnic minority communities to discuss
their concerns and ensure that they receive the support and protection
that they need.
3.7. Unfortunately the level of consultation
and support has been inconsistent, and specifically, the Hindu
communities have not been consulted nor provided an opportunity
to discuss our concerns as much as other communities. This is
mirrored at London level.
3.8. We welcome the Government's further
plans to tackle the threat of terrorism by strengthening the law
against racially and religiously motivated crime, the recent announcement
to outlaw religious discrimination in the provision of goods and
services and the proposal to create an offence of incitement to
religious hatred.
4. PUBLIC CONCERN
ABOUT TERRORIST
THREAT
4.1. The general British public has grown
increasingly concerned about terrorism since September 11.
4.2. The Hindu community of Britain has
suffered various attacks on their places of worship, particularly
during festivals as well as on individuals and property. Many
believe that the extreme viewpoints expressed by fundamentalist
groups, including unacceptable conversion tactics and verbal and
written abuse, have led to increased levels of violence against
the Hindu community—particularly in West Yorkshire, West
Midlands, East Midlands and parts of London.
4.3. Major terrorist attacks on temples
and places of worship in India usually lead to higher levels of
security concerns in the UK. For instance, the explosions that
killed Hindu monks and worshippers at the Swaminaryan temple at
Akshardham in Gandhinagar by terrorist Islamic groups in September
2002 and the terrorist attack on Raghunath temple in Jammu and
Kashmir in March 2002 resulted in increased fear within the Hindu
community and security measures in British temples being tightened
and overhauled.
4.4. There is a growing concern in the Hindu
community that security issues involving the Hindu community are
not treated as seriously as other communities. The community infrastructure
to deal with security issues is only recently being identified
and built with the help of outside agencies like the Community
Security Trust (CST).
5. RELATIONS
BETWEEN COMMUNITIES
5.1. The Hindu community is a part of the
Indic traditions comprising the four faiths of Hinduism, Sikhism,
Jainism and Buddhism. The four faiths have a special relationship
in that the religions have common traditions and cultural values
originating from the Indian sub-continent. The Hindu Forum of
Britain maintains good relationships with the main umbrella bodies
of the Sikh, Jain and Buddhist traditions, and with other organisations
from each of these faiths.
5.2. The Hindu Forum of Britain also has
a warm working relationship with the Jewish community through
the Board of Deputies (BOD) and the CST. The community has been
advised by the BOD and CST on building community and security
infrastructure as well as collecting and analysing security information.
The two communities have also had cordial relationships through
the meetings and cultural events of the Indian Jewish Association
UK. The student bodies of the two communities, the National Hindu
Students Forum and the Union of Jewish Students have maintained
close relationships on university campuses, where students from
both communities have faced similar threats from religious fundamentalists.
The two groups will hold their first joint event later this year.
5.3. The Hindu-Christian dialogue initiated
by various Hindu and Christian organisations has helped maintain
close relationships with representatives of the Church of England,
the Catholic Church and the Free Churches.
5.4. The Muslim Council of Britain and the
Hindu Forum have recently held high-level meetings to explore
means by which the two communities could work together in Britain.
Of particular importance has been the consensus that both organisations
should focus on areas of co-operation rather than areas of debate.
5.5. The Hindu community also play an active
role in inter-faith dialogue through the Interfaith Network and
various local inter-faith initiatives.
5.6. Recently, the Hindu Forum of Britain
has initiated a faith community consultation programme for identity
cards, where representatives of the Hindu Forum of Britain, the
Board of Deputies, the Muslim Council of Britain, the Network
of Sikh Organisations, the Jain Samaj Europe and the Bahai community
agreed to work together to understand issues surrounding the enrolment
and verification processes surrounding identity cards. This is
an example of how faith communities came together to deliver a
project-specific deliverable. It illustrates how well the Hindu
community has integrated into British life and is able to proactively
lead on a matter of national importance.
6. ANTI-TERRORIST
MEASURES
6.1. The Hindu Forum of Britain have welcomed
anti-terror measures by the Government through the Anti-Terrorism,
Crime and Security Act 2001.
6.2. While endorsing the need to balance
national security and safety of British citizens, the HFB however,
urge diligent use of the powers conferred on the police in the
hope that the human rights of detainees, including the right to
a fair trial, are upheld.
7. XENOPHOBIA
AND ANTIHIND-ISM
7.1. While British parliamentarians, service
providers, the CRE and others have become increasingly and rightly
become aware of the dangers of Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia,
there is rarely any mention of Antihind-ism, its historical context,
and how it applies to Britain.
7.2. Over the last 1,000 years in the Indian
subcontinent, Antihind-ism has historically taken the form of
violent attacks, including killings of Hindus; forced conversions;
misinformation campaigns aimed at denigrating Hindu beliefs; the
marginalisation of Hindu communities through denial opportunities
in education and employment; seizure and destruction of property
and temples; and the intellectual subjugation of its belief system
by means of Antihindic propaganda aimed at undermining the theological
and spiritual basis of Hinduism. Antihind-ism continues to this
day and is active in Britain.
7.3. Contemporary Antihindic incidents follow
a systematic historic pattern but take several forms, both here
in Britain and internationally. Examples of recent Antihindic
behaviour in Britain are included in Appendix 1 of this document,
while examples of Antihindic behaviour outside Britain are listed
in Appendix 2.
7.4. Over the past 10 years, the Hindu community
in Britain has been subject to a visible and increasing growth
of Antihind-ism. This has taken the form of:
(i) Attacks on temples and properties.
(ii) Attacks on individuals.
(iii) Attacks on students at universities.
(iv) Inciteful leaflets and publications.
(vi) Misinformation campaigns.
Examples of such incidents are attached in Appendix
1.
7.5. On many occasions, Antihind-ism has
taken the form of misrepresentation and misinformation in institutions
like the British Parliament. On 16 November 2004, Mr Jagdeesh
Singh, from the Sikh Community Action Network (an organisation
that many Sikh leaders claimed did not represent their community's
views) submitted oral evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee
on Terrorism and Community Relations and made unsubstantiated
and untrue claims that the Swaminarayan temple in Neasden was
a base for terrorist activities. This claim has angered both Hindu
and Sikh communities since the Swaminarayan Temple teaches the
Hindu values of peace; has never supported extremism or fundamentalism
in any form; does not have any other organisation operating from
its temple premises; has inspired millions to a peaceful way of
life; and has itself been a victim of Kashmiri extremists who
attacked and killed monks and worshippers at the Gandhinagar Akshardham
temple. Reactions from community leaders are attached in Appendix
3 of this document.
7.6. Mr Jagdeesh Singh has also made allegations
against the VHP, but has not produced any evidence to support
his claims. Most Hindus in this country regard the VHP as a peaceful
organisation that has contributed to social and moral development
within the community. The VHP has issued a public statement in
2002 condemning all forms of terrorism.
7.7. The Hindu Forum of Britain requests
that selection procedures for candidates giving oral evidence
be scrutinised thoroughly. If a faith community is allowed only
one chance to submit its oral evidence, care should be taken to
choose organisations that represent the community through broad-ranging
membership and consultation.
7.8. The internet has provided a new tool
for Antihindic propaganda, and there are innumerable sites that
either ridicule or vilify Hindu beliefs and customs. While many
of these sites may not be classified as incitement to religious
hatred, they do nevertheless, affect community relations at the
grassroots.
7.9. HFB has sought the help of the CST
to help monitor Antihindic incidents including physical attacks
on Hindus and property, verbal or written abuse, threats against
Hindus, and distribution of Antihindic leaflets, posters, and
material through print, broadcasting and electronic means. The
Hindu Forum hopes to monitor Antihindic incidents in Britain to
the same forensic standard as the CST.
8. MEDIA AND
ANTIHIND-ISM
8.1. The national British media has been
largely indifferent to Antihindic incidents and does not give
them the same prominence as other forms of racism and xenophobia.
Antihindic incidents, particularly those of desecration of Hindu
temples, have been rarely reported in the national media, although
the ethnic and regional media covered these incidents to some
extent. Desecration of places of worship or cemeteries of other
faith communities have been reported sympathetically in the media,
and correctly so.
8.2. While loss of lives through terrorism
in Palestine and Israel always gets media attention in the West,
loss of human life through terror attacks on the Hindu community
in India do not get the same attention. A list of terrorist killings
in India that had little or no mention in the western media is
attached in Appendix 4.
8.3. Use of Hindu images, Hindu icons in
a degrading manner often considered insulting to the Hindu tradition
and distortion of Hindu beliefs in the media has been widespread
and has often angered and offended Hindus.
9. CIVIL LIBERTIES
AND POLICING
OF ANTIHINDIC
INCIDENTS
9.1. Hindu communities have reported a lack
of adequate response from certain police forces in reporting,
recording and investigating racially or religiously aggravated
crime against Hindus. In West Yorkshire, for instance, documented
incidents have shown that due to the lack of adequate response
and follow-up from the Police, the community are feeling increasingly
insecure and are losing confidence in the police.
9.2. The Hindu Forum have established a
working relationship with the Diversity Unit at ACPO and other
police units, including the Metropolitan Police, to offer advice,
training and input on Hindu issues, publishing literature on religious
and race crime, acting as third party reporting centres and visits
to Hindu temples for familiarisation lectures.
9.3. The number of Hindu victims of race
or religious crime who report crimes against them is very low.
The Hindu Forum is seeking a partnership with the Police to promote
awareness amongst the Hindu community to report crimes of this
nature and help to increase the feeling of security within the
community. It is anticipated that this partnership will lead to
faster response times and increased confidence.
13 December 2004
APPENDIX 1
APPENDIX 2
EXAMPLES OF
RECENT ANTIHIND-ISM
OUTSIDE BRITAIN
1. Separatist terrorists have forcibly driven
nearly 350,000 Hindus out of the Kashmir valley by harassing them,
illegally occupying their houses and issuing death threats. These
displaced Hindus have been turned into refugees in their own country,
living in squalid conditions with little aid from outside. Very
little is written or reported in the western media about these
victims of separatist terrorism in India.
2. The continued attacks on Hindus including
destruction and confiscation of property, rape and killings in
Bangladesh by religious and political extremists has resulted
in a systematic decline of the Hindu population. Amnesty International
has requested the Bangladeshi government to "take urgent
action to protect the country's Hindu minority following weeks
of grave human rights abuses." Reports of human rights abuse
of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh can be found at: www.hrcbm.org
3. The oppressive treatment and systematic
discrimination of Hindus in Pakistan has resulted in the denial
of basic human rights, employment and education on grounds of
religion. This has happened to such an extent that what constituted
well over 10% of the population at partition has now been reduced
to an insignificant minority of less than 1%.
4. The oppressive treatment of Hindus under
the Taliban regime in Afghanistan is well known and documented.
The decade-long civil war and particularly the six years of Taliban
rule saw the numbers of Hindus and Sikhs plummet from a few hundred
thousand to only 30,000. As relatively well-off minorities, they
were the first to be targeted with looting when Mujahedin in-fighting
broke out in 1992 after the fall of the Communist-backed regime.
All eight Sikh and Hindu temples in the capital Kabul were ransacked
and destroyed. The Taliban, who won international notoriety, forced
them to wear yellow badges to distinguish them from the Muslim
majority.
APPENDIX 3
REACTIONS TO
THE ALLEGATIONS
MADE BY
JAGDEESH SINGH
TO THE
HOME AFFAIRS
SELECT COMMITTEE
ON 16 NOVEMBER
2004
EDM 212 29.11.04
Terrorism and Community Relations
That this House notes with deep regret the testimony
given to the Home Affairs Select Committee investigation into
terrorism and community relations by Mr Jagdeesh Singh in which
he suggested that the Swaminarayan Temple in Neasden allowed itself
to be used as a base for violent and terrorist activities; considers
this allegation to be totally without foundation and abhorrent
to a community which has itself suffered a terrorist attack on
its mother temple in Gandhinagar, India where many monks and two
British citizens were shot and killed; and further considers that
this allegation has caused profound offence to the wider Hindu
community in the UK and is damaging to good community relations
and urges the Select committee to invite representatives of the
Swaminarayan community to give testimony before the Committee
that will establish a more accurate picture of the work for positive
community relations that the Swaminarayan Temple is engaged in.
Extract of letter from Superintendent Steve Brown,
Operational Commander North, Brent Borough sent to Rt Hon John
Denham MP, Chairman of the Home Affairs Committee on Friday 3
December 2004:
I fully appreciate that Mr Singh's comments
are part of a transcript of evidence given to the committee on
16 November 2004. However, I feel that such comments could provoke
religious or political tensions within the wider population and
could discredit the excellent work, which the leaders of this
mission are currently doing within the community . . . I would
urge you and your committee to disassociate yourselves from this
statement at your earliest opportunity as it may be perceived
by website visitors that there is either credence to this allegation
or Home Office backing for Mr Singh's assertions.
Extract of letter from Cllr Ann John, Leader of
Brent Council sent to Rt Hon John Denham MP, Chairman of the Home
Affairs Committee on Friday 3 December 2004:
I know the temple is an exclusively religious
organisation that is not affiliated in any way shape or form to
any political organisation . . . Its very existence is a beautiful,
living monument to the Hindu principles of peace and harmony.
I know that the trustees and devotees, in common with most religious
people, are committed to peace, tolerance and love of humankind.
It is inconceivable that they would advocate terrorism or allow
their premises to be used by those who do. The accusations made
in Mr Singh's "evidence" is deeply wounding to all associated
with the temple . . .
APPENDIX 4
EXAMPLES OF
ANTIHINDIC INCIDENTS
IN INDIA
THAT HAVE
NOT BEEN
REPORTED IN
THE WESTERN
MEDIA
Courtesy: Press Trust of India
Following is the chronology of major killings
of Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir since the return of popular governments
in the border state after nearly seven years of central rule promulgated
in the wake of eruption of militancy in 1990:
Jan 25/26,1997: 25 Kashmiri Hindus killed at
Wandhama-Ganderbal Srinagar.
Mar 20: Seven Kashmiri Hindus killed in Sangrampura
(Budgam).
April 18 1998: 27 Hindus killed in Prankote in
Udhampur district in Jammu region.
June 19: 25 Hindus killed in Chapnari area of
Doda district in Jammu region.
July 28: 16 Hindus killed in two villages of
Doda District in Jammu region.
August 8: 35 Hindus killed in Kalaban on Jammu-Himachal
Pradesh border.
Feb 20, 1999: Four Hindus killed at Muraputta-Rajouri,
nine at Barlyara-Udhampur and seven at Bllala-Rajouri in Jammu.
June 30: 15 Hindu labourers killed in Anantnag
district of south Kashmir.
July 19: 15 Hindus killed at Layata in Doda district
of Jammu.
February 28, 2000: Five Hindu drivers killed
near Qazigund in Anantnag district of Kashmir.
Mar 20, 2000: 35 Sikhs massacred at Chatisinghpora
in Anantnag.
August 1: 31 Hindus including pilgrims to the
holy shrine of Amarnath killed at Pahalgam in Anantnag.
August 1-2: 27 Hindus gunned down in Qazigund
and Achabal in Anantnag.
August 2: Seven Hindus killed in frontier District
of Kupwara in North Kashmir.
August 2: 11 Hindus killed in Doda district of
Jammu.
February 3, 2001: Six Sikhs gunned down in Mahjoornagar
in Srinagar.
Feb 11: 15 Hindus massacred in Kot-Chadwal in
Rajouri district of Jammu.
Mar 2: 15 Hindu policemen and two medical assistants
killed in Manjkote area of Rajouri.
March 17: Eight Hindus massacred near Atholi
in Doda.
July 21: 13 Hindus, including seven Amarnath
pilgrims killed at Sheshnag in Anantnag.
July 22: 12 Hindus massacred in Cheerji and Tagood
in Doda district of Jammu.
August 4: 15 Hindus killed in Ludder-Sharotid
Har area of Doda.
August 6, 2002: Nine Amarnath pilgrims killed
and 29 others injured at Nunwan base camp in Pahalgam area of
Anantnag district in south Kashmir.
March 24 2003: 24 Kashmiri Hindus massacred by
terrorists in Nandimarg in Shopian area of Pulwama district in
south Kashmir.
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