EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Although the word “Hinduphobia” is not recognized by the governments in Canada, this essay serves as testimony of its prevalence.

INTRODUCTION: The aversion to Hindus, Hindu traditions, our sacred texts, and symbols is as old as the faith itself.

This essay will dissect Hinduphobia, as perpetuated by the Canadian state machinery, state sponsored media, religious bodies, and individuals themselves.

HINDUPHOBIC STATE APARATUS

Canada is a nation with no state religion. The “freedom of conscience and religion” is the first fundamental freedom. So, in theory, all faiths have the same playing field and equal treatment by the State. In reality, equity and fairness are limited to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Fair and equitable treatment of the Hindu community does not exist in Canada.

As of this date, in the year 2023, two Hindu temples have been vandalized. In 2022, the number was three and in 2021, it was one. (Information from open source Internet search because Canadian media does not always report hate crimes against the Hindu community).

On 7 May 2023, Ayush Dankhara (23), a native of Bhavnagar, India was found dead in Toronto, Ontario2. Ayush was a student of Engineering at York University, Toronto.

On 15 April 2023, Harsh Patel, also a Gujrati student at York University was found dead3. Both deaths were not reported by Canadian media. There are no reported comments from the law enforcement agencies regarding motive of homicide.

Satwinder Singh (28)4, and Sanraj Singh (24)5 were shot dead in 2022 – in different parts of Canada.

Prabhjot Khatri (23)6 was stabbed to death in 2021. The murderer, Cameron James Prosper of the Pictou Landing First Nation was sentenced to nine years for the lesser charge of “manslaughter”. After subtracting remission, Prosper will be required to serve only six years in prison for a willful and unprovoked murder.

As per Canadian law, Judges are required to consider an Aboriginal
offender’s background during sentencing. This principle is called Gladue and although a guiding principle and not a substantive power, in most cases, the incarceration time of Aboriginal offenders is reduced.

Figure 1: Afzal Family Memorial, Photo Credit: City of London, Ontario

The common denominator in all these homicides was – no published statements from political leadership, Canadian media, law enforcement agencies and Human Rights Commissions about motive, the possibility of hate being a contributing factor, or even just words of condolence.

In November 2022, Kartik Saini was killed by a vehicle while crossing a street in Toronto, Ontario7. The accused has been charged with one count of careless driving causing death, one count of turning when not safe to do, and one count of proceeding contrary to a sign. The charge of “careless driving causing death” is a traffic offence and not a criminal charge. This case is sub judice.

By contrast, it is noteworthy to look at the death of the Afzal family. Four members of this family were killed by a vehicle while walking across a street in London, Ontario8. The accused has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder and “murder-terrorist activity”. In less than 24 hours of the incident, Detective Superintendent
Paul Wright of the London Police issued a statement saying – “We believe the victims were targeted because of their Islamic faith”.

What was the background of the accused? What was his mental state? Was a psychological assessment conducted before the police issued this statement? Was all of this done prior to the police making a statement? Does the accused have a right to a fair and unbiased trial?

The Canadian PM, the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau’s statement read – “To the Muslim community in London and to Muslims across the country, know that we stand with you. Islamophobia has no place in any of our communities. This hate is insidious and despicable — and it must stop.”

Ontario Premier Doug Ford stated – “Hate and Islamophobia have NO place in Ontario. These heinous acts of violence must stop.” Mayor Ed Holder called the incident “An act of mass murder perpetuated against Muslims. It was rooted in unspeakable hatred.”

These statements were all made shortly after the incident, while the matter was under investigation and a court ordered publication ban. But none of this or possible mitigating factors have stopped the political leadership and law enforcement agencies in swaying public opinion.

The Crown prosecutor has filed a preferred indictment, requesting the case be moved to a Superior Court, skipping the need for a preliminary inquiry. In essence, due process was circumvented due to the privileged status of one group. The matter is sub judis and goes to trial in September 2023.

The selective deafness of the Canadian law enforcement agencies, judiciary, and political leadership when it comes to people of Dharmic faith is evident and alarming. Despite the long list of homicides, routine desecration of Dharmic places of worship and caricatures of Dharmic Gods – the words Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Dharma, Indic, Hinduphobia are not recognized by the Canadian Human Rights Commission, Provincial Human Rights Commissions, the Federal, provincial, and municipal governments writ large.

Dharmic Canadians don’t expect memorials in their honour. What they do expect is speedy justice and the appropriate labelling of hate crimes against them.

MEDIA
The reporting of Dharmic homicides by the Canadian state sponsored media (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation or CBC) is spotty, at best. At times, the loss of Dharmic lives is not even reported, as in the case of Ayush Dankhara, Harsh Patel and Rahul Makhija. Ayush went missing on 5 May 2023 and was later found dead under a bridge in Toronto.

The vandalism of Hindu temples is cleverly masked by the CBC as “anti India sentiment”. The attacks on temples must be reported as Hinduphobia. In the same manner as the vandalism of a synagogue is antisemitic, and not anti-Israel. The defacement of a mosque is Islamophobia and not an act against any Islamic country.

Not only is the CBC deaf to hate crimes against the Hindu community, but they also actively propagate Hinduphobia. In a news article published on 1 March 20239, they describe organizations such as the Hindu Swayamsewak Sangh as one that “disseminates hate”. The article summarizes the pride that Hindus in India and abroad feel about their religion, as one that “victimizes religious
minority groups” such as “Muslims, Sikhs and Christians, but also members of India’s lower caste Hindus.” Interesting to note that the news channel has not mentioned the Jewish faith, which is also a minority faith in India but has been applauded by Israel as a safe space for Jewish people.

The article further describes the Rastriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as – “It has domestic and international organs that seize political power, perpetuate its supremacist ideologies and actively participate in communal violence”. This a strong pen picture. For the common Canadian reader, who is not aware of the nuances of Dharmic religions, or one Hindu organization from another, their takeaway will be that Hinduism breeds fascism.

According to the CBC’s 2021-22 annual report, they received $1.24 billion from the Canadian federal government as non-repayable grants. Therefore, considering their financial might, to say Figure 2, ISIS Flag, Photo credit: Wikipedia that they are a major influencer, would be a fair statement.

RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS
The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) and the World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) published a paper in 2023, titled “RSS Network in Canada”10. While ostensibly about the RSS only, the 60-page report makes a slew of unsubstantiated accusations at Hindu charitable organizations operating in Canada, India and the worldwide. In Canada, most of these charitable
organizations are run by volunteers, who do so for sewa i.e. service. Due to limited funds, these organizations are usually run out of temples or at the homes of volunteers. In essence, the paper slanders temples, their management committees, and temple goers – fanning the fire of Hinduphobia. Is there a connection between the vandalized temples, targeted attacks on Dharmic
people and this Hinduphobic rhetoric?

In November 2022, the Govt of Canada passed a bill declaring November as Hindu Heritage Month. Liberal MP, Mr Chandra Arya raised the saffron flag in Parliament Hill, Ottawa to commemorate the event. Several religious organizations wrote a joint letter to the Right Honourable PM Justin Trudeau denouncing the saffron flag11. The letter was signed by the Canadian Council of Muslim Women, Palestine Youth Movement and India Civil Watch
International (ICWI), among others.

The letter claims that although the saffron colour is sacred to several Far Eastern faiths, it has been used by fascist groups and therefore must not hoisted in Canada.

Any group is free to choose their symbols, just as the flag of the terrorist organization Da’ish (ISIS) displays the Seal of Mohammad. Certainly, that seal has been misappropriated, but does that take away from its sanctity for
Muslims? So what is the issue with Hindus flying the saffron flag? The letter states that lighting a diya or lamp to mark the event would have been more appropriate. This amounts to Hindus being dictated how they must celebrate their own faith.

Figure 3, Course titled “Religion and Sexuality”. Photo credit: Professor Matthieu Boisvert, UQAM on Facebook

INDIVIDUALS
Most Canadians are either supportive or agnostic of Hinduism. The Canadians who have travelled to the Far East have a deeper appreciation of Dharmic culture, because they have seen the architectural marvel of Angkor Wat, or the countless temples in Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Thailand,
and Indonesia. Even Canadians who have not visited these countries, have an admiration for the Dharmic contributions to health by way of Yoga and Ayurveda.

There is however a small group of Canadians who are Hinduphobic. It is also this group that is influential because of academic / social credentials. Unlike the common Canadian, this fringe group actively pursues a well planned and articulated agenda of spreading Hinduphobia.

For example, 9 November 2022, some professors and doctoral students from the Centre of Indian Studies and Research at the University of Quebec at Montreal (UQAM), wrote an open letter12. The letter speaks of the increase in the vandalism of Hindu temples. However, these academics claim that the text of the graffiti was “pro Khalistan” and was to “denounce Hindutva politics and
can hardly be considered Hinduphobic”.

So by this logic, if someone spray paints “Allah O Akbar” on a mosque – that will not be Islamophobic. Or “We Stand for Israel” on a synagogue – that will not be antisemitic. Or “God Save the King” is sprayed on an Anglican church – will that be an act against England and not the Anglican Church. The same professors organized a course on religions and sexuality. The poster has an obscene picture of Hindu Gods. Conveniently or deliberately, they omitted the Crescent Moon, Cross, and symbols of other religions.

WHAT CAN THE STATE DO
Canadian government agencies at all levels must recognize the word “Hinduphobia” and legislate a ban it. When people of Dharmic faiths are victims of violent crimes, their religion and the religion of the offender must be published. Hate crimes against Dharmic people must be appropriately labelled as Hinduphobia, anti-Sikh, anti-Buddhist, and anti-Jain. The same goes for the vandalism of temples. The caricatures of Dharmic deities in the name of academics or art cannot be condoned. A phobia of Dharmic faiths and should not be minimised as “Anti India sentiment”. Hinduism and India are two separate entities. Although India is generally associated Hinduism, Nepal and Bali are also Hindu majority regions.

Law makers must remember that when the Dharmic community voice their concerns, they are highlighting a human rights issue. They must not question their loyalty to Canada, or assume that one has political interests.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs by way of their Embassies and Consulates can do a lot more do fight this social phenomenon. Their statements condemn these acts as “anti India”. This does not address the issue but is only used as justification by Hinduphobic groups to further their agenda. State agencies also piggyback off these statements to justify the non-existence of Hinduphobia in Canada.

WHAT CAN INDIVIDUALS DO
Write to your City Mayor, Member of Legislative Assembly and Member of Parliament describing to them Hinduphobia means to you and requesting them to pass legislation banning it in their jurisdictions. Write to the CHRC and Provincial Human Rights Commissions asking them to include Hinduphobia in their annual reports. When organizations use Hinduphobic images and
terminology (such as “myth, cult”), let them know that this hurts your sentiments. Most of all – display the Hindu symbols (Bhagwa Dhwaj, tika, sindoor, etc) with pride. Loyalty to Canada must be absolute and so must assimilation into the Canadian fabric. But assimilation doesn’t mean
assuming a “Christian” name and publicly disassociating oneself from Dharmic practices.

References:
1.The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Paragraph 2 (a)

2.Shastri, P. (2023). ‘Gujrati student found dead in Toronto; second such case in less than a
month’, The Times of India, 13 May.
Available at: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/gujarati-student-found-
dead-in-toronto-second-such-case-in-less-than-
month/articleshow/100208507.cms?from=mdr (Accessed: 19 July 2023).

3.2023. ‘26-year-old student from Ahmedabad’s Ghatlodia drowns in Toronto’, The Times
of India, 19 April.
Available at: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/26-year-old-student-from-ahmedabads-ghatlodia-drowns-in-toronto/articleshow/99598971.cms?from=mdr
(Accessed: 19 July 2023).

4.Macdonell, B. (2022). ‘A loving son: Family heartbroken over death of third rampage
shooting victim’, CTV News Toronto, 19 September.
Available at: https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/a-loving-son-family-heartbroken-over-death-of-third-rampage-shooting-victim-1.6075035 (Accessed: 19 July 2023).

5.Junker, A. (2022). ‘Shooting death of 24-year-old Mill Woods man ruled a homicide’,
Edmonton Journal, 14 December.
Available at: https://edmontonjournal.com/news/crime/shooting-death-of-24-year-old-mill-woods-man-ruled-a-homicide (Accessed: 19 July 2023).

6.Sandhu, K. (2021). ‘Moga youth killed in Canada in suspected hate crime’, The Tribune,
7 September.
Available at: https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/moga-youth-killed-in-canada-in-suspected-hate-crime-308026 (Accessed: 19 July 2023).

7.O’Brien, A. (2022). ‘Driver charged after international student, 20, struck and killed on
Toronto crosswalk”, CTV News Toronto, 1 December.
Available at: https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/driver-charged-after-international-student-20-struck-and-killed-on-toronto-crosswalk-1.6176769 (Accessed: 19 July 2023).

8.(2021). ‘Muslim Family in Canada Killed in Pre-Meditated Truck Attack’, BBC, 8 June.
Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57390398
(Accessed: 19 July 2023)

9.Xing, L. (2023). ‘Movement out of India that “disseminates hate’ victimizes religious
minority groups’, CBC, 1 March.
Available at: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/rss-hindutva-india-report-1.6764114
(Accessed: 19 July 2023)

10. NCCM & WSO. (2023). ‘Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Network in Canada’. 1 March.
Available at: https://www.nccm.ca/rss-in-canada/ (Accessed: 19 July 2023).

11. ICWI. (2022). ‘Condemning the Saffron Flag on Parliament Hill, Ottawa!’ 25 November.
Available at: Condemning the Saffron Flag on Parliament Hill, Ottawa! – India Civil
Watch International (ICWI) (Accessed: 19 July 2023).

12. Mathieu Boisvert, Karine Bates, Catherine Viens and Marwan Attalah. (2022). ‘Hindu
Nationalist Flag in Front of Parliament – Shades for this Politically Charged Symbol’.
9 November.
Available at: Des nuances pour un symbole politiquement chargé – La Presse+
(Accessed: 19 July 2023).

 

DISCLAIMER: The author is solely responsible for the views expressed in this article. The author carries the responsibility for citing and/or licensing of images utilized within the text.