HAF Human Rights report released

The Hindu American Foundation's 2006 Human Rights report, detailing human rights violations against Hindus around the globe, was released this past week. This year's report includes a chapter written (by me) on the persecution of Krishna devotees in Kazakhstan.

From Ishani, the HAF executive director:

The 202 page, eleven country report more than doubles the country and region-specific coverage of our 2nd annual report released last year. It covers the areas of genocide, ethnic cleansing, terrorism, rape, murder, discrimination, temple destruction, socio-political ostracization, disenfranchisement, and forced conversions Hindus. The nations included are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Fiji, the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, and Trinidad and Tobago. The report is prefaced by a detailed executive summary that provides specific recommendations that the foundation is proposing to improve the human rights situation in each listed country.

The HAF report has also attracted some media attention, including this article from Argus, a Bay-Area publication. The Argus piece includes some of Ishani's comments on Kazakhstan:

Chowdhury said the third annual "Hindus in South Asia and the Diaspora: A Survey of Human Rights" doubles the number of countries scrutinized since last year, adding Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and others.

"Kazakhstan, that wasn't even on our radar until early last year," she said, noting that Hindus there are less than 1 percent of the population. "The government is pretty much not recognizing Hinduism as a religion. Even that amount is considered a threat."

The HAF Human Rights report is a great example of why ISKCON needs to develop and maintain relationships with others, and how we can do it. Whereas thirty years ago, many devotees may not have seen that need, today we must realize that the world around is becoming increasingly interdependent.

But don't we risk losing our identity or compromising our beliefs by mixing with others? Not necessarily.

We may not agree with everything that a group like the Hindu American Foundation does, just as we can't expect HAF to buy-in to every position we take. In the new world, however, we must come together on issues of shared concern while allowing space for disagreement or individual belief.

Check out the report here, at the HAF site.

Read ISKCON North America's endorsement of the report here.