A petition has been started by Brampton, Canada, resident Vijay Jain to draw attention to the Greater Toronto Area’s (GTA) devastation of Hindu temples.
The petition asks that the term “Hinduphobia”—which refers to prejudice and discrimination against Hindus—be included in the Human Rights Code.
Hinduphobia
The petition calls attention to systemic and “institutional Hinduphobia” and defines “Hinduphobia” as the denial, negation, prejudice, or vilification of Hindus, Hinduism, or Hinduness. The petition is now at the top of the list of active petitions on the House of Commons website with more than 4,500 signatures.
The petition refers to attacks on Hindu temples, which make Hindus feel uncomfortable in their places of worship, as well as the rise of discrimination, prejudice, and unfavorable stereotyping in the workplace, schools, and communities.
- Canadian Vijay Jain initiates a petition against Toronto’s Hindu temple destruction.
- Petition addresses systemic Hinduphobia, gaining 4,500 signatures on the House website.
- Brampton faces signage destruction, seven Hindu temple desecration reports since July.
Ruchi Wali, a supporter, wants more people to sign the petition so that laws to combat “Hinduphobia” can be passed. She also wants to promote the creation of training and educational resources to inform Canadians about Hinduphobia and anti-Hindu prejudice.
The destruction of signage at Brampton’s Shri Bhagavad Gita Park on July 14 angered the Official City of Brampton. Since July of last year, there have been at least seven reports of Hindu temples being desecrated in the GTA alone.
The head of the Conservative Party, Pierre Poilievre, has demanded a stop to “Hinduphobia” and remarks made about Hindus, as well as to vandalism and violence directed at Hindu Canadians.
Chandra Arya, a member of parliament for the Liberal Party, claimed that rising Hinduphobia was causing Hindu Canadians the same suffering as anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, which led to hate crimes against synagogues and mosques.
