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Polish Catholics Persecute Krishna Worshippers

October 13, 2003, 10:56 pm

Poland (VNN)by Ella Serwin and Magdalena Mola

http://www.kentaxrecords.com/iaca/php/item_display.php?id=1066100187&type=news

Krishna worshippers in Poland are up against a fascist-like anti-Vedic movement

made up of an unholy alliance between Roman Catholic fanatics and members of

the Republican league an ultra right wing quasi-political group.Priests and

nuns from the Dominican order and members of other Catholic organizations have

undertaken a massive misinformation campaign aimed at creating public hysteria

over the "rising tide" of Hindu and Vedic teachings and its "evil consequences

for Poland." Although the primary target of their bigotry and hatred is the

Chaitanya Mission (founded by Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda), the attack has

expanded to include Hindu beliefs in general and the sacred teachings of the

Vedic literature. Examples of the type of persecution the Polish Krishna

worshippers are experiencing include the following:Gross Distortions of Vedic

Philosophy and Religious Practices Sister Michaela, a Dominican nun, has

claimed at public meetings and under oath in court that if Vaishnavism takes

hold in Poland, worshippers of Krishna will introduce human sacrifices and

"bloody offerings" before their "idols." She further claimed that "sati" will

be introduced and widows of Krishna worshippers would be forcibly burned on

their husbands' funeral pyres. Moreover, she asserts "temples of prostitution"

will also be opened with group sex before the "idols." The "holy sister," who

presents herself as an authority on Hinduism and Vedic culture, has also

repeatedly blasphemed Lord Krishna. Destroying and Defacing Posters A professor

at Lublin Catholic University appearing on a popular radio program instructed

his students and members of the public to tear down or deface posters

advertising festivals and meditation classes conducted by the Chaitanya

Mission. As a result, Catholic hooligans regularly rip down posters or stamp

the words "dangerous sect" along with pictures of a skull-and-crossbones on the

posters.Disruption of Public Lectures In Krakow members of the Republican League

have stood up in the midst of large public gatherings throwing "warning" flyers

into the air along with firecrackers and stink bombs. One of the authors of

this article, a rather frail woman in her late twenties, was knocked to the

ground by a man from the Republican League when she asked him to leave the

lecture. Republican League members have disrupted lectures in other cities as

well. Harassment of Krishna Worshippers Representatives from the Dominican

Center have harassed members of the public as they enter or attempt to enter

auditoriums and halls to attend programs sponsored by the Chaitanya Mission.

Handbills claiming that the Vedic teachings attack and undermine the Biblical

teachings are also distributed. Harassment campaigns against individual Krishna

devotees have also been conducted. Recently posters with a skull-and-crossbones

displayed on them were pasted up and down the street where a 78-year-old

Krishna worshipperlives. The posters gave his address and stated that a

dangerous sect member lived there. A few days later the same individuals who

put up the posters formed a picket line in front of the building where he

lives. Within a few days this devotee, who was a Polish resistance fighter

during WWII and highly decorated war hero, received an eviction letter from the

Catholic organization owning the building he lived in.The devotee, Narasingha

das, stated as follows, "I have lived in this building for 30 years with no

problems. Now I am being evicted because I am not a Catholic. I just want to

spend the last few years of my life worshipping Krishna. I fought against

fascism and the Nazis to defend the freedom of the Polish people and I am an

invalid because of my service to my country. Yet now Polish citizens are using

fascist tactics to try to take away my own freedom. I cannot understand it."

Catholic officials have also contacted landlords and managers of halls and

auditoriums rented by the group and discouraged them from renting

theirfacilities to the Chaitanya Mission. Other landlords are afraid to rent to

the Mission because of the stink bomb and firecracker attacks and the threat of

damage to their facilities by the Republican League and other hooligans.

Therefore it is becoming increasingly difficult for the Chaitanya Mission to

conduct its public programs.The Chaitanya Mission, with ashrams and centers in

all major Polish cities, is doing its best to defend the Vedic Dharma. An

education campaign is under way by the Mission to counter Sister Michaela's

misrepresentation of Hindu religious practices and her twisted and perverted

descriptions of Krishna's divine lila.And a lawsuit for defamation and slander

has been filed against Ann Lubowcheska, president and founder of the "Society

to Protect the Family and Individual." Through news articles and leaflets

distributed at public programs, Ms. Lubowcheska has falsely charged that

Krishna worshippers from Chaitanya Mission engaged in activities which were

illegal and extremely harmful to Polish society. However, during the first two

court appearances, she admitted she had no evidence whatsoever to support her

accusations. It appears she got her allegations from a book describing the

activities of dangerous sects. Since she imagines Chaitanya Mission to be a

sect, she concluded its members must engage in such activities even though the

Chaitanya Mission is not even mentioned in the source books!The battle against

oppression is far from won. Using a strange defense allowed under an obscure

Polish law, Ms. Lubowcheska is claiming that even though what she said was

untrue, she had a right to say it "for the greater good of Polish society." She

asserts the Vedic teachings presented by the Chaitanya Mission pose a serious

threat to social well being and it was her duty to call attention to their

activities in Poland. In effect her defense is to claim that the Chaitanya

Mission is a dangerous sect. Although her specific allegations of illegal and

harmful activities have been disproven, to win the final count against her that

she falsely claimed Chaitanya Mission is a dangerous sect teaching dangerous

ideas from the Vedas the burden is on the Polish Krishna worshippers to prove

that Vaishnavism is a bona fide religious tradition. To this end, Tusta Krishna

das, founder of the Hindu Religious Freedom Foundation and a fellow disciple of

Jagad Guru, was called to testify as an expert witness at the case. He

presented several letters of praise for the Mission's activities from Catholic

professors, nuns and priests in the Republic of the Philippines where Chaitanya

Mission also has a large presence. Not only has there never been any conflict

with Catholics in that country, but Jagad Guru's books are being used there as

textbooks in Catholic universities.More than 70 letters from charities and

social welfare institutions who have benefited by the Chaitanya Mission

programs in Poland and Russia were also presented.Through recent news articles

and TV reports, the public is gradually becoming aware of the injustices being

dished out to the Polish Krishna worshippers. As a result, support for their

plight is growing."Nonetheless," Tusta Krishna das stated, "with the offensive

testimony of Sister Michaela and the depth of fanaticism amongst the

Dominicans, it is still going to be an uphill battle to establish the purity of

Vedic teachings. We need help from Hindu and Vedic scholars around the world,

and the sooner the better."Tusta Krishna das' five and a half hour testimony

primarily focused on refuting misconceptions presented by Sister Michaela and

also establishing the sacred nature of the Vedic scriptures and high moral

character of those who follow them.And much has been done to discredit Sister

Michaela herself, the Dominican Center's "expert" on Hinduism. Skeptical about

her testimony under oath that she held a degree in Sociology of Religion from

Karnatak University, Chaitanya Mission representative Sunil Khemaney contacted

university officials. He learned Karnatak University does not even have a

religious studies department. Professor Anil Mudbidri from the Sociology

Department further informed Mr. Khemaney that in his 25 years at the university

no foreign student had ever studied in that department. And finally the

registrar, Dr. Rajshekr, advised that not only had no degree been awarded to

Sister Michaela (legal name Zofia Pawlik), no one by that name had ever been

enrolled as a student at Karnatak University. It seems Sister Michaela has not

only been misrepresenting Hinduism and the Vedic teachings but also her own

background. Chaitanya Mission members are not surprised.Tapasya das, head of

the Chaitanya Mission in Poland, has an interesting and insightful take on the

whole affair. Noting that early missionaries to India established Roman

Catholicism not only through fear and intimidation but by slaughtering

thousands of "non-believers" and by razing numerous Hindu temples in the

province of Goa, he commented as follows: "How would the Catholics in India

react if they were harassed and persecuted by local Hindus in the same way

their Polish brethren persecute us? It would be an international incident! More

importantly, perhaps, is how Hindus in India will react given the rising surge

of Hindu activism when they discover how the Catholics are treating us

here.""This is a great contrast of values," he further stated. "Despite the

fact that early Catholic missionaries in India often engaged in atrocities not

unlike the Muslims, just look how nicely Hindus honored Mother Theresa when she

died, even though they did not accept her beliefs. This is proof positive of the

tolerant nature of those who follow the Vedic culture. Would an Indian saint be

treated the same way by Catholics if he died in the West?"Based on what he

learned during his visit to Poland, Tusta Krishna das feels that the Catholics

are conducting a full frontal attack not only on Chaitanya Mission but on all

Hindus and followers of the Vedic culture. "If we don't stop this cold, it may

very well spread to other countries as well."

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