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119th CONGRESS
1st Session |
Celebrating Hindu Americans, condemning attacks on Hindu places of worship, Hinduphobia, and anti-Hindu bigotry, and for other purposes.
Mr. Thanedar (for himself, Mr. Fallon, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Foster, Mr. Goldman of New York, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Mrs. Kim, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Mrs. McIver, Mr. Mullin, Ms. Norton, Mr. Pallone, Ms. Ross, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Vargas, Mr. Lawler, and Mr. Latimer) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
Celebrating Hindu Americans, condemning attacks on Hindu places of worship, Hinduphobia, and anti-Hindu bigotry, and for other purposes.
Whereas Hinduism is one of the world’s largest and oldest religions, with over 1,200,000,000 adherents, mostly in the Indian Subcontinent, and in over 100 countries that encompasses an array of diverse traditions and belief systems enshrining universal values of acceptance, mutual respect, and peace;
Whereas the United States has welcomed more than 4,000,000 Hindus from all corners of the world since the 1900s, representing diverse racial, linguistic, and ethnic backgrounds;
Whereas the United States has greatly benefited from contributions by Hindu Americans in every aspect of our Nation’s economy and in every industry;
Whereas Hindu traditions and practices have greatly enriched the United States of America, especially with Vedanta philosophy and literature, natural medicine known as Ayurveda, as well as fine arts, dance, music, and fashion, along with spiritual practices of meditation, yoga, and community service;
Whereas inclusive religious celebrations such as Diwali and Holi are observed vibrantly in Hindu homes and at thousands of Hindu religious houses of worship (also known as mandirs), which are thriving throughout the country;
Whereas the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., proclaimed that a great source of inspiration to him personally was India’s pre-eminent freedom fighter, Mahatma Gandhi, and his teachings of nonviolent civil disobedience originating in Hindu philosophy positively impacted America’s civil-rights movement, which resulted in greater racial equality and enfranchisement for all peoples in the United States;
Whereas, despite their positive contributions to the United States, Hindu Americans face stereotypes and disinformation about their heritage and symbols, and have been the targets of bullying in schools and on college campuses, as well as discrimination, hate speech, and bias-motivated crimes; and
Whereas, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Hate Crimes Statistics Report, anti-Hindu hate crimes targeting mandirs and persons are annually on the rise while in parallel, Hinduphobia in American society is unfortunately rising: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
(1) celebrates the historical and ongoing contributions of Hindus and Hinduism to the United States of America;
(2) recognizes the vibrant Hindu culture that enriches American cultural diversity;
(3) declares the United States as a place that welcomes the diversity brought by Hindu Americans; and
(4) condemns Hinduphobia, anti-Hindu bigotry, hate, and intolerance.