Hindus rally in metro Detroit to protest attacks in Bangladesh

https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/macomb/2021/1
0/25/hindus-protest-warren-attacks-bangladesh/6153045001/

MACOMB, Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press

Hundreds of Bangladeshi American Hindus and supporters rallied
Sunday outside a Warren temple in support of minority Hindus in
Bangladesh who have faced a wave of attacks against their temples
and homes. Standing outside the Michigan Kalibari temple along 9
Mile, they held up signs that read “Stop Violence Against Hindus
In Bangladesh” and “Save Bangladeshi Hindus, Temples” as some
cars drove by honking in support. “We want justice for Hindus in
Bangladesh,” Sanjoy Deb of Hamtramck, president of Bangladeshi
Youth Council, told the crowd. “Stop the attacks.”

According to media reports and Human Rights Watch, hundreds of Hindu temples, homes, and businesses were vandalized or razed
during Durga Puja, a religious and cultural event that’s the most important holiday for the Hindu community in Bangladesh. Eight
people, including some priests, were reportedly killed. Hindus are a minority in Bangladesh, making up about 9% of the population, down from about 14% when the nation was formed in 1971.

Bijoya Chowdhury of Hamtramck broke down crying as she spoke at the rally. Durga Puja is normally “a very happy moment for
us, once a year,” she said. But this year, the violence ruined the festive moment. She asked the government t in Bangladesh to protect minority communities. “These criminal attacks against Hindus in Bangladesh are not acceptable at all,” Chowdhury said. “We need
protection for Hindu lives, Hindu women, Hindu girls, Hindu babies,Hindu temples, Hindu houses.” “As soon as I got the news, my heart went out to all the families in Bangladesh,” Narayanaswamy Sankagiri, with the Hindu Community Relations Council of
Michigan, said during the rally. “We believe in the Vedic saying, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam we believe that the entire world is our family. … Minorities need to be protected.”

There are about 20,000 residents in Michigan with roots in
Bangladesh, according to Census data from 2019. They are
from various religious backgrounds: Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and
Christian. There are two Bangladeshi American Hindu temples in
metro Detroit, a Bangladeshi American Buddhist center in
Hamtramck, and some mosques with predominantly Bangladeshi
congregations.
“I know how much it pains all of us when we are attacked because
of our identity,” State Rep. Padma Kuppa, D-Troy, told the crowd.
“When I came here as a graduate student, they called me dot-head,
so I understand we still face bias. And we feel strongly where
anywhere in the world there is violence against a particular person
because of their identity, particularly temples and people who are
worshipping, who have faith in non-violence.”

Kuppa said she attended a rally earlier this month at the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community Center in Rochester Hills, which was
vandalized recently. The attacks in Bangladesh erupted after an
extremist in the Muslim community placed a copy of the Quran at a
Hindu site during Durga Puja on Oc 13, the BBC reported. A photo was taken and then spread, falsely alleging that the Quran was insulted by some Hindus. The wave of attacks is one of the worst in recent years, organizers said. “They attacked and destroyed
more than 200 festival sites in 27 districts, broke and desecrated the Hindu deities representing the Hindu goddess Ma Durga, burnt many Hindu homes and villages,” Shyama Haldar, president of the Michigan Kalibari and who helped organize the protest, said to the protesters. “At least eight Hindu devotees and priests were killed during the violence.

” The Associated Press reported that the extent of the violence may have been underreported because “local media downplayed their coverage of the violence, apparently under pressure from the government to control any new attacks as Hindus celebrated their largest religious festival, Durga Puja.” The attacks were “orchestrated by several radical religious groups all over Bangladesh,” Haldar said.
Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August, there have been a wave of attacks against religious minorities across Asia by
extremist groups. In Kabul, the minority Hindu, Sikh, and Catholic communities are being forced out and minorities in the Kashmir valley were targeted this month, as well as the attacks in Bangladesh, according to media reports and human rights groups.
Haldar called upon authorities in Bangladesh to take action when the violence happens, not wait until afterward. He said there’s a pattern where political leaders came out in support, but only after the attacks happened. Haldar said some of his family in Bangladesh are scared now to practice their faith. They escaped the physical attacks this month, but their temple was closed during Durga Puja out of fear. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Contact Niraj Warikoo:nwarikoo@freepress.com or
Twitter @nwarikoo