Why Defend Hinduism?By Vrin Parker

[Guest guest]

Mr Parker,

> >

> > Please tell us what the association does

> specifically

> > to promote religious tolernace. Also tell us what

> in

> > your association's eyes is religious tolrenace.

> >

> > regards

> >

 

 

Dear Srividhya,

Respectful greetings. Thank you for your questions and sorry for any

misunderstandings.

In reply to yr relevant questions I must say that it was the

agressive anti-hindu and anti-india nature of the media and academia

that turned me into an activist.By standing up against the constant

slander, disinformation and intolerance being perpetrated against

Hinduism I am promoting religious tolerance.

As a person raised in this culture, it is my duty to defend it.

 

For me to try and defend another tradition of which I have no

background would be illogical and ineffective. For example, if my

family is being attacked, I will naturaly defend them. That does not

mean I do not care about other families which may or may not be under

similar attack. It just means I am acting within the parameters of my

abilities and geographical location.

Its high time this illogical concept that love and focus for one's

own culture is considered hate and ignorance of another's culture.

 

It may surprise you to know that I am a great admirer of both Lord

Jesus and Prophet Mohammed(pbuh). Yet having no background in these

cultures,I would not make a good spokesman for either Islam or

Christianity. However my whole life has been nurtured by India's

beautiful Hindu culture so I do have a few things to say about it.

 

It was only after I began my college studies and was forced to study

and be tested on fallacies about India and Hinduism that I became an

activist. (ex. The textbook stated that Kali yuga was named after the

horrific and bloodthirsty Goddess Kaali among other blatantly false

staements.)My prof. was actually an Indian lady and when I pointed

out the mistakes she was sympathetic but said if you want to pass you

have to know what is in the books rather than the reality. To me this

was a wake up call to action.

 

So by promoting the truth about Vedic/Hindu culture people will be

able to get over their prejudices and intolerant attitudes. Once they

understand it correctly they will see that it is a culture that

encompasses all religions. Yet it is the Abrahamic traditions which

have frequently promoted the concept that all others are hellbound

heathens unworthy of God.

This concept should never be tolerated because it is an assault on

our individual human rights.To tolerate this is to support religious

intolerance.

 

In regards to the Nagaland Post, I was shocked by their report. What

I told them was that it is wrong for Christians to come and bring

love of Jesus in one hand and hate of the anscestral tribal

traditions in the other. This statement was ignored in their report.

I also said that by preaching against the native traditional ways and

denigrating Hinduism, Christian converts naturally develop an anti-

national mood and this may be the root of the anti-India insurrection.

 

Upon hearing this, all the reporters emphatically denied this. They

informed me that the Christains have never promoted seccesion from

India but rather have created a sense of unity amongst the people. I

said I was very happy to hear this good news and was happy to be

corrected. YET STILL THE NEXT DAY THE NAGALAND POST REPORTED THAT I

BLAMED THE NAGALAND INSURGENCY ON THE CHRISTIANS, WITHOUT MENTIONING

THAT I STOOD CORRECTED AND HAD RETRACTED THE STATEMENT WITHIN MINUTES.

After the press meet, I was informed that it was very dangerous to

make such public statements and people have been killed for less. So

imagine my angst reading the next days front page article. After

spending 2 hours of talking and listening, all the Nagaland post had

to say about me was that I was blaming the insurection on

Christianity. This after I repeatedly glorified Jesus and his

teachings. I still had 2 days in Nagaland and the day the report came

out, I went on a trip into the countryside. Because of Nagaland

Post's innaccurate reporting I was very worried that I would now be

labeled an anti-christian rather than a Vedic/Hindu promoter.(Besides

the worry of being killed by some insurgents.)

I believe that True Christianity(and Islam) is teaching the essence

of Vedic philosophy so the anti-christian/islam jacket does not fit

me at all.(Wrong Size and style for me to wear.)

The VFA Vedic Friends Association promotes religious tolerance by

allowing the sincere seeker to get an accurate view of Vedic/Hindu

culture. Specifically we do this by putting on cultural shows, veg.

feasts, TV shows and book publication. We can not expect people to

tolerate or care for something they know nothing about or even worse

only have anti-hindu or incorrect sources to access. Thus they will

not only tolerate us but actually see us as friends. This is our

associations goal.

What do I see as religious tolerance? I see religious tolerance to

mean tolerance of all religious traditions. It does not mean

supporting one religion over the other the way India's govt does.

(Free trips to Mecca etc. no govt finacial oversight for Muslim or

Christians but intensive oversight of Hindu groups etc.)

As I pointed out to the Nagaland Post tolerating intolerance of the

anscetral traditions leads to social chaos and creates a climate of

fear. So for the media to constantly harp on the non-fatal babri

masjid incident as the darkest day since independence, while Hindus

are being slaughtered repeatedly is intolerable to me. By promoting

the facts we strive to wake up people's intolerance for the slaughter

of Hindu pilgrims and the cultural genocide of the world's indigenous

root cultures.WHY IS THE DESTRUCTION OF AN OLD UNUSED MOSQUE SO

INTOLERABLE COMPARED TO THE MASS SLAUGHTER OF INDIANS(of all

denominations)....OVER 70,000 IN THE PAST 12 YEARS? WHERE IS THE

OUTRAGE? IN THE USA NO ONE WOULD DARE LAMENT THE LOSS OF THE WTC OVER

THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE KILLED.

So I hope I answered your questions.

Sincerely, Vrin Parker