WASHINGTON, D.C., July 13, 2007: The Hindu American Foundation joins all Hindu Americans in celebrating the epochal events of July 12 in our community’s history in the United States. Yesterday, the faith of 2 million American Hindus and nearly 1 billion of the world’s population was represented in the chambers of the U.S. Senate for the first time. Shri Rajan Zed’s prayer recitation shared with our fellow Americans the Hindu belief in a transcendental, immanent God and the eternal Hindu search for enlightenment and universal peace. Our foundation joins all Hindu Americans in congratulating the U.S. Senate for demonstrating its commitment to the American ideal of pluralism, and for respecting the religious diversity of our great country.
And while we celebrate yesterday’s events, we cannot but be disappointed that a few miscreants misinformed about the Hindu faith, and its countless contributions, disrupted a significant and solemn occasion. Hindu Americans were troubled by the intolerant, exclusivist views of some evangelical groups that viciously condemned Hindus and their faith so publicly this week. However, our community is heartened and grateful that the Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, courageously spoke of his personal experiences with Hindu Americans and of the relevance of the pluralistic ideals personified by Mahatma Gandhi. We thank Senator Reid and all of those members of the U.S. Senate that made this historic moment possible, and reach out to our fellow Americans to join us in building a society based on the principles of tolerance, pluralism and understanding.”