Faith Leaders Unite Across Traditions to call out Hinduphobia and Demand Fair Media Coverage

"Bias and bigotry have no place in a society striving for inclusivity and mutual respect."

HONOLULU, Jan. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In a rare demonstration of unity, religious leaders representing diverse faiths and substantial communities from Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Jewish, and Sikh traditions have issued an interfaith coalition letter urging the media to reject anti-Hindu prejudice and embrace balanced, respectful reporting.

Click here to view and download the letter.

The coalition's letter condemns the "recent biased portrayal of Hindus in the media," citing concerns about the promotion of anti-Hindu bigotry, which misrepresents spiritual organizations and individuals.

"Media has recently published content that not only promotes Hinduphobia but also biases against individuals and organizations from multiple faith backgrounds," the letter says.

The letter addresses how the Science of Identity Foundation, a spiritual organization rooted in the Hindu Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, has been unfairly portrayed in narratives that promote "fear and animosity towards Hindu practices."

Signatories of the letter include Sukhi Chahal of The Khalsa Today, a prominent Sikh organization; Hakim Ouansafi of the Muslim Association; Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, representing Eastern Orthodox Christians; Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, a leading voice in the Catholic community; Dr. Jeffery D. Long of Elizabethtown College, a respected Hindu scholar; and Dr. Richard Benkin of Interfaith Strength, representing the Jewish faith. These leaders emphasize that "the vitality of our democracy depends on embracing our diversity, not exploiting it for discord."

"The increasing number of voices standing against anti-Hindu prejudice is deeply encouraging," said Jeannie Bishop, president of the Science of Identity Foundation.

"This interfaith coalition's strong stance highlights the power of unity across diverse religious and cultural traditions. If attacks like this can occur against one spiritual path, it can happen against any. Religious bias and religious bigotry have no place in our society striving for inclusivity and mutual respect."

This significant statement comes on the heels of an open letter that has now been signed by more than 70 Hindu organizations that also denounced Hinduphobia in the media, reflecting a growing chorus of voices from diverse faith traditions committed to combating religious bigotry.

The coalition also calls for heightened journalistic responsibility.

"For journalism to serve its purpose, it must maintain the highest standards of accuracy, fairness, and integrity, thereby fostering trust and unity among varied communities," the letter says.

By promoting fact-based and respectful reporting, the signatories aim to combat divisive narratives and reinforce principles of equality and inclusion.

The Science of Identity Foundation, founded in 1977, is dedicated to sharing the teachings of Vaishnava Hinduism, offering practices like yoga and meditation to promote personal well-being and community harmony. The Foundation welcomes the coalition's support in calling for fairness, inclusivity, and mutual respect in public discourse.

The letter has been signed by:

1. The Khalsa Today and Sikh Wing of American4Hindus (A4H) (Sukhi Chahal, Chairman)
2. World Sacred Gardens Church (Gordon Goff, Founder)
3. Muslim Association (Hakim Ouansafi, Chair)
4. Association TerraNation (Annick Dauphinais, Director)
5. All Believers Network (Saleem Ahmed, Founder)
6. Maitreya Institute (Roger Epstein, CEO)
7. Hindu Buddhist & Christian Unity Council (Dwijen Bhattacharjya Phd, President)
8. Bangladeshi, Hindu, Buddhist & Christian Unity Council, USA Inc (Sukanta Das, Director)
9. New American Voters Association (Dr Dilip Nath, President)
10. South Asians of New York (Dr Hari Shukla, President)
11. Human Rights Education Organization and Movie to Movement (Jason Jones, President)
12. Armenian Assembly of America (Anthony Barsamian, Co-Chair)
13. Consulate Churches of Christ (Archbishop Akayzian, World Moderator)
14. Glendale City Councilmember (Ardy Kassakhian, former Mayor Glendale)
15. USA Armenian Life Magazine (Appo Jabarian, Executive Publisher)
16. Interfaith Strength (Dr. Richard Benkin, Founder)
17. American Hellenic Council (Alex Mizan, Treasurer/Acting Executive Director)
18. Iman Cultural Center (Dr Sadegh Namazikhah, President)
19. Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan, Primate)
20. Armenian National Committee of America (Aram Hamparian, Executive Director)
21. Interfaith Unity for Tolerance (Ali Abbas Taj, Director)
22. Saint Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church Parish Council (Appo Jabarian, Council Board Member)
23. American Armenian National Security Institute (Major Gen. MacCarley, President and CEO)
24. Arab American Association of Bergen NJ  (Mohammad Mansour, Director)
25. Al-Khoei Foundation (Fadel Al Sahlani, Imam)
26. Ahlul Bayt Mosque (Sadeq Waeely, Imam) 
27. Al-Fatima Islamic Center (Jaafar Nabelsi, Imam)
28. Anjumane Aza Khane Zahra (Ali Khan, Director)
29. Imam Ali Mosque (Hussein Rakaa, President)
30. Islamic Center at NY (Hassan Yehya, Imam)
31. Islamic Center of NY (Kamel Noori, Imam)
32. Islamic Centre of Medina (Saleem Nawfal, Director)
33. Islamic Shia Ithna Asheri (Ali Bano, Imam)
34. Jaffarya Center of Niagara Frontier (Ahmad Aboud, President)
35. Muslim Mosque (Mostapha Anqoudi, Imam)
36. Shah-e-Najaf Center (Sameeh Rahaa, Imam)
37. Shia Ithna-Asheri Jamaat of NY (Nizar Tabaja, Imam)
38. Al-Mahdi Foundation (Ali Kamil, Director)
39. Jaffaria Association of N.A (Samir Taha, Imam)
40. Jaffarya Islamic Center of Buffalo, NY (Kassim Mustapha, Imam)
41. Shah-E-Najaf Islamic Center (Karim Sayer, Imam)
42. Algadeer Foundation (Maan Al Sahlani , Imam)
43. Shia Ithna-Asheri Jamaat of NY (Salam Amir, Director)
44. Hellenic Council of YSEE America (Konstantine Malliaros, Minister of the Hellenic Religion)
45. Dr. Jeffery D. Long, Carl W. Zeigler Professor of Religion, Philosophy, & Asian Studies, School of Arts & Humanities, Elizabethtown College
46. Stand By With Dignity (Mustafa Abidi, President)
47. Wall Street Conference (Jason Lyons, Chairman and Founder)
48. New Jersey Muslim Officers Society (Mudather Malik, President and Ihsan Abdul Rassoul, Trustee)
49. Mehfile Shahe Khorasan (Shabir Ladak, President)
50. KSI Jamaat Of PA (Naser Ali, Director)
51. Khatoon E Jannat (Tarek Masrey, Imam)
52. Al Mustapha Islamic Center (Ali Yaseen, Imam)
53. The Crescent Islamic Center (Jihad Aleeme, Trustee)
54. Dar Alsalm Center (Hussam Hasanein, Director)
55. Masjid Ibrahim (Mustapha Amini, Imam)
56. Masjid Al Iman (Ali Karim, Imam)
57. Darul Uloom (Shubar Sahih, Imam)
58. El Zahra Islamic Center (Mahmoud Jamal, Director)
59. Masjid Omar (Saleh Ahmad, Imam)
60. Standwithdignity.org (Mustafa Abdi, Vice President)
61. Cristiana La Luz de la Vida Church of Englewood (Manuel Montero, Director)
62. First Spanish Methodist Church (Matthew lyle, Father)
63. Our Lady of Fatima Church (Joel Pena, Father)
64. American Jewish Conservatives (Benji Gershon, Founder and President)
65. Yeshiva Ohr Simcha of Englewood (Menachem Strassfeld, Director)
66. Earth Aware (Raoul Goff, President)
67. Midwood Jewish Center (Yisrael Cohen, Director)

Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Science of Identity Foundation