Immigrant Indians being Forced to Convert to Christianity in Canada

[Guest guest]

Posted by Dharmesh on January 12, 2000 at 08:17:09:

 

On Eye On Asia, the first mention on Eid Day was

Eid Mubarak from Arwinder Sahota, Darshan Sahota

and co. However, on Diwali I waited almost 40

minutes watching Eye On Asia before I even heard

the word Diwali on thier program. Following post

is written by P. Persuad of Toronto.

 

 

P. Persaud (Toronto, Canada)

Canada's First Multicultural Television (CFMT) - Why is it

run by Anti-Indian Christian Zealots?

 

After watching Toronto's multicultural television (CFMT) over the

fall of 1999, it has become exceedingly clear that both of the

station's "South Asian" programs, South Asian Newsweek and

Bollywood Boulevard, are run by anti-Hindu Christian zealots. On

South Asian Newsweek, not only are Hindus routinely insulted,

slighted, and demeaned with impunity, but also Hinduism is

deliberately distorted and flat out lied about. Whereas, the

Christian agenda-Christian views and stories favorable to

Christians, almost always get the lion's share of any CFMT news

broadcast. This problem is multiplied when one considers that

according to Statistic Canada, 500,000 South Asians inhabit the

Greater Toronto Area (GTA), and more than 60 percent (300,000

people) of this sum are Hindus while the Christian population pales

in comparison with the minuscule sum of less than 5 percent.

 

And considering that in Toronto's South Asian community, for

every Christian there are at least 12 Hindus, then it is, without

question, a deliberate insult to Hindus when South Asian

Newsweek (December 26 episode) allot a total of 19 minutes to

Christmas including the unusually long seven-minute lead story.

While, on the biggest day of the year for South Asians, Diwali

(November 7th show), Hindus had to endure a frustratingly long

wait of 45 minutes, or 16 stories into the show, before the word

Diwali was ever mentioned. And when finally aired, the Diwali

story lasted for less than 2 minutes even though it featured Diwali

messages from both the mayor of Toronto and the Prime Minister

of Canada. Keep in mind, that all other mainstream news outlet

that weekend covered Diwali within the first 10 minutes of their

programs.

 

Still, the humiliation of Hindus did not stop there. In what first

appeared to be a goodwill gesture to Hindus turned out to be a

nasty insult in disguise. CFMT began announcing weeks in

advance, the unusual event of the broadcasting of a movie for

Diwali. But come Diwali day, it was utterly unbelievable that from

the huge stock-pile of available Hindi films, CFMT could not find

one single Hindu movie to show; instead, it chose a Christian

Indian movie, Bobbie, where all the major actors wore prominent

over sized Christian crosses. This clearly indicates the station has

not a covert but an overt Christian agenda where even the most

fair-minded and forgiving person would have to agree that CFMT

anti-Hindu/pro- Christian bias is not by accident, but by careful

design. This bias is so blatant that it's even detectable by untrained

eyes.

 

Bear in mind that the station's slogan is "Canada's First

Multicultural Television" or CFMT. And, contrary to the 'apparent

desires' of the producers of the South Asian programs, CFMT (or

Channel 47) was formed in accordance with the guidelines set

forth in the Canadian Multicultural policy which stipulates, among

other things, the enhancing and preserving of one's culture. This

does not include being the right arm of the Catholic Church or any

other Christian missionary organization.

 

Recently, the South Asian story of the week, the Southern Baptist

fiasco (where Hindus were referred to as 'Satan worshippers" and

public prayers were made in efforts to convert all 900 Million of

them on Diwali day) that made headlines all over the world,

including in major news outlet like the Washington Post. Yet

South Asian Newsweek had no coverage of this story at all.

Instead, during the same week, in the October 23 broadcast,

CFMT reported as new news, the ten-month old incident about an

Australian missionary that was killed, in January of 1999,

"reportedly" by Hindu nationalists. If this is not bias reporting, I do

not know what is.

 

In Canada, Hindus, struggling to preserve their heritage, are

obsessively bent on educating their children. As a result, Hindus

occupy a disproportionately high percentage of the student

enrollment at Canadian Universities and in every field of study, so

the excuse "there aren't enough qualify candidates" does not hold.

And there are many educated Hindu women and men who are

more than qualified to host South Asian Newsweek and

Bollywood Boulevard. Yet, astonishingly, CFMT could not find

one single Hindu or with similar names to anchor its 'multicultural'

shows targeted at the Indian community. Instead, names like

'Naidoo-Harris' or 'Karen Johnson' (with cross swinging from

neck) are imperialistically forced upon us. Neither are any of the

show producers-Madeline Ziniak, Suzy Soares, Stan Papulka, or

Carol Baptista, of South Asian origin. And what can be

unequivocally stated, in terms of both absolute numbers and

percentage, is that Canada's South Asian (Hindu) community has

not only more people, but also more educated people than the

communities of anyone of the producers. So, why aren't Hindus

better represented in the staffing at CFMT? Or is CFMT above

the concept of equal opportunity.

 

More to the point about names and perception: imagine if

Bollywood Boulevard, the show about Hindi Films, was a radio

show instead, and the face of the hostess was invisible to the

audience. Then do you think for one moment that a hand picked

person with the name "Karen Johnson" would be perceived as a

suitable host? Puleez! The audience would rightfully wonder aloud

about her ethnicity, religion, and reasons for having her as host. In

fact, during the days of radio, Karen Johnson could never have

become the host of an Indian program. The audience would simply

not buy it. And since neither her religion nor her name is indigenous

to the culture of the target audience, then the only reason she was

chosen by CFMT to host Bollywood Boulevard was because of

her race-that is, she is Indian. And this one fact shows CFMT high

contempt for Hindus who are the majority of South Asians

because, selecting a cultural spokesperson based solely on race

while ignoring her name and religion is equivalent to having a

French Catholic host a German cultural show or an Irish Catholic

being the media representative for Irish Protestants. They are all of

the same race, aren't they, but that formula would not work in

European circles and neither should CFMT try to push it down the

throat of the South Asian community. In mass communication to

specialized ethnic groups, perception is very important because

one of the first thing audiences will ask, "does she represent me-my

culture, my race, and my religion?"

 

Also, as is common knowledge to Indian communities in the

Diaspora, Indian Christian converts with names like 'Karen

Johnson', rarely, if ever, go to Indian movies or listen to Hindi

songs. CFMT is either completely ignorant of this fact or they are

deviously resorting to the old colonial missionary tactic-that is, "you

want the job? Then accept Christ before we accept you"-which is

a shameless display of hegemonic power. In the Canadian

Multicultural sense, Christian converts represent the weakest

segment of Indian society-that is, those not willing to enhance or

preserve their heritage and religion. In fact, many Christians would

not only never identify themselves as being Indians, but also go to

great lengths to erase all links to the Indian subcontinent, preferring

instead European music, food, and names for their kids-not exactly

the Indian community's overwhelming choice for its poster boy or

girl.

 

More of CFMT blatant Christian bias is illustrated in the October

9, 1999 broadcast of South Asian Newsweek. The show, taped

sometime before, when the BJP was projected to win the Indian

election, put a decidedly negative spin on the results. It claimed

that the BJP, resorted to personal attacks at Sonia Gandhi for

being a foreigner, but, strangely and conveniently, CFMT

neglected to tell the audience that Sonia is a Roman Catholic

seeking election in a land of 80 percent Hindus, that after having

lived in India for more than 2 decades, she only recently decided

to become an Indian citizen and her Hindi is atrocious, and that her

'only' qualification for the post of Prime Minister is that she has the

coveted last name, 'Gandhi', invented by her mother-in-law, Indira,

to successfully fool Indians into electing her. CFMT always gives

Sonia Gandhi favorable coverage even though the Congress Party

suffered a massive loss with her at the helm. Still the anti-Hindu

tirade continued on the same program, CFMT put on a Congress

Party supporter (but no BJP supporter) who said that now that the

election is over, he hopes that the BJP abandons its election

platform and start working on real issues. Well, elections do not

function in that way-it is the winners who get to forward their

platform and it's the losers who complain. CFMT reporting clearly

showed their dissatisfaction with the election results, which is out of

step with the Indian community here and in India, and which raises

the question, "Whom does CFMT represent?"

 

In the same episode, a piece was shown on an award show hosted

by an organization, EIPROC, for gifted South Asian kids. And as

the camera panned across the head table, the 14 award recipients

remained seated with their names on large cards in front of them

(the majority was Hindus, just one student had a Christian name).

And, without rolling the tapes any further you had to know that the

only person CFMT was going to select for the close up interview

would be the one and only student with a Christian name. And, lo

and behold, as suspected, the only student chosen was indeed the

one with a Christian name, Anita Jacob. At this point in time,

CFMT is so biased that they have become predictable and, though

passing themselves off as a vehicle of multiculturalism, they are

more bent on precipitating cultural erosion or rather "conversion".

 

Still, two other stories that same day showed CFMT pro Christian

stance. Reeling with obvious disaffection at the BJP victory, and

choosing to ignore more meaningful election issues-that is, why

people voted for the BJP, the future course of India, what Indians

expect of the BJP, CFMT instead broadcast a pathetic piece

about the difficulty the blind had in voting, as if, for some outlandish

reason, it would have affected the outcome of the election. That

was definitely scraping the bottom of the Barrel. Moreover, of all

the stories on the election, not one was positive about the victors,

the BJP, the overwhelming democratic choice of the Indian people.

The only other feature that day, concerning Hindus, was also

negative; it showed a march in Toronto, which CFMT claimed was

raising funds for alcohol, drug, and women abuse. After watching

that episode, one would think that there is nothing positive about

being Hindu. (Demoralize them about their religion and then sell

them Christianity is another favorite of missionaries.)

 

In the coverage of the funeral of a recent Hindu immigrant who

committed suicide and murdered his son in the process by jumping

in front of a subway train, CFMT reported the man was given a

Christian funeral because "Hindu priests do not officiate at funerals

for suicide victims". Where in the world did CFMT ever get such

nonsense?! From Christian missionary doctrine? Is there no depth

to which CFMT will sink? Did it ever occur to them to contact an

informative Hindu before making broad sweeping statements. Then

again, the dissemination of accurate information in regard to

Hinduism is not the intention of CFMT (or those of the producers

anyway).

 

Nowadays, South Asian Newsweek is openly used as a staging

ground for the white women agenda. Week after week, women

that have been abused by their spouses are put in front of the

camera and given extended coverage up to ten minutes at a time.

And western feminists are given ample air time even though what

they say have nothing in relation to the South Asian community.

For example, in the October 11 episode of South Asian

Newsweek, CFMT had an aging white feminist, Skye 'something

or the other', Morrison I think, comically dressed in an absurd

gown with a loose fabric clumsily wrapped around her head,

projecting incompatible western feminist views onto Bihari women,

as if her attire would make her Indian? (Indian or Bihari women

would never choose such a clown to represent them; they are still

giggling at the sight.) The only thing South Asian about that

particular piece was the accompanying film footage, apparently

shot in somewhere in India (and from the quality of the film, it was

shot sometime in the sixties), but which in no way, shape, or form,

was related to what the woman was saying. (Also, why does Joe

Doucet of the Bank of Montreal keep popping up on the program

week after week; what is so South Asian about him?).

 

The reason CFMT is so bankrupt for material is that all content is

filtered through its Christian sieve. Lots of worthwhile TV material,

social issues, concerts, religious functions, etc., need coverage;

they are abundantly found in South Asian community newspapers.

Publicizing these events would far better serve the community than

having, Joe Doucet or Sky 'whatever her name is' on the show.

And while on the same subject, why is there only one male

reporter on the show. CFMT would be surprised to know that the

South Asian community has an even split of male and female.

 

Finally, after watching just a few episodes, it is clear, to even the

most unsophisticated of viewers, that hegemonic power play is at

work at CFMT (just look at the names at the rolling of the credits

at the end of the show), which directly contravenes Canada's

official multicultural policy. Techniques employed by old Christian

Missionaries are dusted off and reused-demoralize them and their

children, mock their heritage and religion, let them know that they

will only advance (get jobs) if they accept Christ. If one scrape

away the veneer, he will see the bigotry against South Asians that

was so openly visible in Canada in the seventies and the eighties,

but still very prevalent below the surface.

 

Below is a contact information on CFMT:

 

South Asian Newsweek

595 Lakeshore Blvd. West

Toronto, Canada

M5V - 1A3

 

Telephone (416) 260 3620 Extension 4675

Fax: (416) 260 3621

 

Staff: South Asian Newsweek

 

Executive Producer: Madeline Ziniak

Producer: Suzy Soares

Associate Producer: Arshad Khan

Supervising Producer: Stan Papulka

News Anchor: Indira Naidoo-Harris

Reporters: Caroline Jeba; Sheetal Metha-Karia; Khush Panthaky;

Subi Vaid. : Carol Baptista.

Bollywood Boulevard Host: Karen Johnson.

 

 

Posted by krishna115 on July 07, 2000 at 08:13:18:

 

In Reply to: why CFMT run by anti-Indian Christian zealots? posted by Dharmesh on January 12, 2000 at

08:17:09:

 

i agree with what you r saying. i live in india and the same things happen here, massacres by christian gunmen are

routinely suppressed while any anti-hindu news overinflated and at times simply created.

the main reason here is that most of the english language media is either owned or run by christians. well we just

dont believe in what they say anymore

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I disagree with you completely! As an Indian Christian I am very proud of my heritage and culture. You are making a generalization when you say that Indian-Christians do not like hindi music or anything Indian. So what if we have names that are not Indian? Have you heard the phrase, " A rose would still be a rose by any other name."

You are subscribing to the Hindi movie notion of what an Indian Christian. Please do your research properly and actually interview some Indian Christians before you make such sweeping comments.

And if you think that CFMT or OMNI 2 as it is now called is promoting Christianity then why did you choose the West (which is to a lot of people synonomous with Christianity) as a place to settle? You should have remained in India.

As I have said before, please do your research properly before you speak out.

 

Mitanjali Solomon

A proud Indian

[Guest guest]

I'm absolutely disgusted with this article. How dare you imply that the South Asian community is solely made up of Indian Hindus.

 

Your comparison of a French Catholic hosting a German cultural show or an Irish Catholic being the media representative for Irish Protestants makes no sense. Do Irish Protestants lead prayer hours at your place of worship? Do French Catholics host Indian cultural shows? Are Indian Catholics media representatives for Hindu temples? Are Indian Hindus media representatives of Indian Catholics? Your series of questions lead one to believe that the term South Asian is strictly inclusive of the Hindu popultation. South Asia incapsulates Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Are you telling me that people of Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, Athiest and other denominations should be excluded from being considered South Asian? If that's the case, then yes, a Christian South Asian has no right to host Bollywood Boulevard no matter how well educated on the subject or eloquent she/he may be.

 

The next time you decide to spread ignorance, prejudice and hate, please do think twice.

 

K. Rodrigues

A proud South Asian!

[Guest guest]

The headline of this article is misleading and inflammatory. It should have been something like "South Asian television in Canada has biased reporting."

 

But these answers are stupid, also. People are lousy readers. They don't get the point and they respond to what they think the other person is saying. But if you use inflammatory headlines like that one, you should expect misunderstanding.

[Guest guest]

 

I disagree with you completely! As an Indian Christian I am very proud of my heritage and culture. You are making a generalization when you say that Indian-Christians do not like hindi music or anything Indian. So what if we have names that are not Indian? Have you heard the phrase, " A rose would still be a rose by any other name."

You are subscribing to the Hindi movie notion of what an Indian Christian. Please do your research properly and actually interview some Indian Christians before you make such sweeping comments.

And if you think that CFMT or OMNI 2 as it is now called is promoting Christianity then why did you choose the West (which is to a lot of people synonomous with Christianity) as a place to settle? You should have remained in India.

As I have said before, please do your research properly before you speak out.

 

Mitanjali Solomon

A proud Indian

 

 

I thought west is secular ? It is none of your business where I stay. The question is why is Hinduism portrayed negative by bigoted christians.

[Guest guest]

 

I'm absolutely disgusted with this article. How dare you imply that the South Asian community is solely made up of Indian Hindus.

[Guest guest]

 

The headline of this article is misleading and inflammatory. It should have been something like "South Asian television in Canada has biased reporting."

 

 

The topic is right and hits the target.

 

Why do you think Hinduism is denigrated by bigoted cross wearing christians ?

 

The answer is they want to get rid of Hinduism from the face of Earth.

 

 

But these answers are stupid, also. People are lousy readers. They don't get the point and they respond to what they think the other person is saying. But if you use inflammatory headlines like that one, you should expect misunderstanding.

 

 

Why do you think FACTUAL STATEMENTS are inflammatory ?

[Guest guest]

Where is the "forced conversion"? Bigoted Christians are misrepresenting Hinduism, O.K. That is a legitimate criticism, but is anyone holding a gun to your head and pouring holy water on your head?

 

There are a lot of level-headed Christians out there who would be as outraged as you about biased reporting or misrepresentation. At the same time, there are unfortunately many bigoted Hindus out there, including not a few in Hare Krishna dress.

 

The basic argument you make is good, but overstatement will only get you categorized as a member of the lunatic fringe. There are 500,000 Hindus in the greater Toronto area, so spread your complaint to them. I am sure that many of them will agree with you and participate in a movement to demand more representative programming. Ultimately, they will have to back down to your demands.

 

I haven't got satellite so I cannot see the programs. But ultimately, it sounds to me like these are commercial channels that want to have an audience. So if their audience isn't happy, they will be obliged to make adjustments.

 

So keep it up, I am on your side. But don't make outrageous statements that make it sound like you are a frothing-at-the-mouth Hindu fanatic. You will only become marginalized. Intelligent Hindus will want to distance themselves from you and the station people will not take you seriously.

[Guest guest]

Hmmm..

 

Where in the article it says about guns etc. Again I did not post this article.

 

When Hinduism is denigrated and christian ideas are broadcast during and before Hindu festivals, this is clearly forcing one religion upon unwilling community. I do not know what else to call when a television station braodcasts programs to denigrate Hinduism in particular.

[Guest guest]

I suppose you chose the headline, though? Forced conversion means someone pointing a gun at your head or holding a knife at your throat or in some way making threats: "Either you convert or else."

 

Like the Turks did in Romania, either convert or give us your oldest sons to become eunuchs in the Sultan's harem.

[Guest guest]

 

suppose you chose the headline, though? Forced conversion means someone pointing a gun at your head or holding a knife at your throat or in some way making threats: "Either you convert or else."

 

 

That is not my definition. If somebody teaches my child etc. in school that Hinduism is bad etc. and you should convert to christianity it is forced conversion. Neither did I ask those guys his opinion about Hinduism. So why they do it. This is forcing the will of one community on other.

[Guest guest]

"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less."

 

I am afraid it does not work like that. You cannot accuse Canada of allowing forced conversions to any religion. Because your definition is not the one that the world goes by.

 

Here is some reading on the subject:

 

http://search./search?fr=slv1&ei=UTF-8&p=forced+conversion

[Guest guest]

an I am afraid the article is clear what it says regardless of what you say. Nobody is saying Canada is supprting forced conversion but that forced conversin is taking place in Canada. Next time you read it carefully.

 

When one reads only one sentence out of context it is the readers problem not that of the author.

[Guest guest]

You are the one who can't read.

 

I wrote "You cannot accuse Canada of allowing forced conversions to any religion." Which is what you are doing when you say that such things take place in Canada. I did not accuse you of saying say that "Canada supports forced conversions."

 

Supports and allows are not the same thing.

 

But you still have not given any instance of "forced conversions" taking place at all. It is not clear. And I am afraid that everything I said about negative impressions is being confirmed. If I were a Christian, I might ask, "Are all Hindus as dense as this?"

[I_love_krishna_ 0]

There is a really good song in Telugu- "Jivamu nive kada deva, bharamu nive kada, mammu broche bharamu nide kada"

 

It is on Hari and basically explains how he is life itself, he is living itself, he is the supreme maintainer.

 

It is us fools who quarrel about converting and not converting... all religions are His. Hey! even the religion itself is Him.

Then where do you convert and to what?

 

[Guest guest]

<snip>

No wonder you are disgusted. As you are a christian and brings out the truth of bigotry among christians you are disgusted.

</snip>

 

Ahh..simple use of religious intolerance to evade the issue. Your implication is that the South Asian community is made up of Hindus and Hindus only. I proved otherwise. Hence, South Asian Newsweek has every right to non-Hindu related news as well.

 

 

<snip>

You will definitely score ZERO on analytical thinking and logic. The issue here is why bigoted christians are employed to make denigrating programs on Hinduism. I did not post this article. But a cursory reading shows that you do not uderstand how to read as well.

</snip>

 

I'm afraid you're the one with the zero. Your implication: South Asian iff Hindu. My implication: Some South Asians are Hindus. I will disprove your statement by counter example: I am South Asian. I am not Hindu. Hence, South Asian -> Hindu is false. Hence South Asian iff Hindu is false. Please feel free to disprove my statement.

 

 

Again, South Asian Newsweek is NOT a Hindu show (neither is any other South Asian represented show on CFMT unless it is specifically designed to broadcast Hindu religious teachings). It would be just as well if a South Asian: Hindu, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Athiest, Existentialist, Wiccan....hosted such shows. A news broadcast is NOT a Hindu religious show. Its purpose is to broadcast the news (and in this case give a South Asian *read South Asian NOT HINDU* perspective to the news). Perhaps you should push for a Hindu News show as well (one that reports solely Hindu news. Yes, it is possible. For example, certain T.V. stations broadcast Christian specific news shows IN ADDITION to other newscasts) instead of rapping Omni on the knuckles for reporting South Asian news.

 

To your second point about posting this article: I'm afraid you did post this article. Whether you cut and pasted it from another source or wrote it yourself, by definition, you POSTED the article.

 

<snip>

The question is why are christians employed to make programs on Hinduism while Hindus do not make christian or islamic programs. The answer is that Christian churches teach hatred for Hinduism. This has been the history for last 500 or more years in India, Europe and North America.

</snip>

 

Well, we've already covered the fact that Christians are not hired to broadcast shows on Hinduism since you haven't yet named a "program on Hinduism" that is currently being broadcasted by Christians (Bollywood Boulevard is about the Bollywood film industry hence it is not a Hindu show. South Asian news covers news from all of South Asia and not just Hindu news).

 

Where did you get the idea that Christian churches teach hatred for Hinduism? I belong to a Christian church and have many Hindu friends. I have been to Hindu temples before and though I don't believe in many of the stories, I am a great believer in most Hindu philosphy, meditation techniques and have been dancing the Hindu religious form of Kathak for many years now. I am not the only Christian who loves and embraces Hinduism without having to practice. In fact, Hinduism is taught as part of the Grade 11 Religion curriculum in most Catholic schools. The course is called "World Religions" and it is a required course (i.e., you cannot graduate Secondary school without it) by the Roman Catholic Separate School Board. When I took it, the Hinduism section was taught by a Hindu priest and we also made a visit to the temple. The point of such a program is to teach students that religions outside of one's own are not to be looked at as oriental novelties but to be truly respected and understood just so long as they don't teach hatred and intolerance. Please do not suppose that Christianity teaches hatred until you make an active effort to research the facts. I certainly do not make statements like "Hinduism teaches hatred for Christianity" even though I read message board posts like this mainly because I have taken the time to learn the facts before I draw conclusions.

 

- K Rodrigues

[Guest guest]

So why do they portray christians in hindi movies? Shouldn't all hindi movie portray hinduism?

[Guest guest]

may be a SOUTH ASIAN show, but it IS pushing an agenda by promoting Christianity, and they are promoting Christianity if half of that article was true.

 

The majority of India is Hindu, not al Indians, but most are. That's a fact. Hindus are a minority just about everywhere else (aside from Nepal).

 

The West is a secular place, although much of it was founded upon Christian principles. Hindus ARE made to feel as if they are outsiders in these places, as there is much hatred or disdain shown for Hinduism. But this is mainly the fault of Christian fundamentalists. And lots of churches teach disdain for Hinduism, I've even heard famous preaches subversively including misinformation about Hinduism, claiming that Jesus Christ says he's the friend of his devotee and there are thousands of Hindu gods and yet none of them claim they are friends of their devotees. This argument itself is wrong and quite ridiculous.

[Guest guest]

while CMFT isn't literally forcing Hindus to convert, they ARE representing a negative side of Hinduism, and thus are making Hindus all around feel bad about their religion. They are subversively forcing Hindus to convert, it amounts to a psychological and emotional attack on Hindus.