On Wednesday, February 1, Chandra Arya, an Indian-origin Member of Parliament in Canada, condemned the attack on the Gauri Shankar temple in Brampton. The Canadian parliamentarian also raised the issue of rising Hinduphobia and hate crimes against Hindus in parliament.
The rising Hinduphobia in Canada is profoundly upsetting to Hindu Canadians, Arya stated in the Canadian parliament. He urged Canada to put an end to the “alarming trend” of increasing hate crimes against Hindus.
“Hindu Canadians are deeply pained by the rising Hinduphobia in Canada,” Arya said. The MP cited a study while he asserted that physical assault results from Hinduphobia.
My statement in Canadian parliament today on the recent hate crime on Gouri Shankar Hindu Mandir in Brampton pic.twitter.com/8RX92dYjxQ
— Chandra Arya (@AryaCanada) February 1, 2023
This comes after Gauri Shankar Mandir was desecrated by Khalistani extremists in Brampton city in Ontario province of Canada. The walls of the temple were defaced with anti-India graffiti by Khalistanis associated allegedly with the banned outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ). The vicious slogan of ‘Khalistan Zindabad, Hindustan Murdabad’ was found spray-painted on the outer wall of Gauri Shankar Mandir.
Chandra Arya said that the attack on the Gauri Shankar was just one of the many such recent attacks on Hindu temples by anti-India and anti-Hindu groups. He said that just like Muslims and Jews feel pain due to Islamophobia and anti-semitism, the Hindus in Canada are also feeling the same pain due to rising Hinduphobia.
“Like Islamophobia and antisemitism resulting in hate crimes against our mosques and synagogues causing pain to our Muslim and Jewish brothers and sisters, Hindu-Canadians are experiencing the same pain due to rising Hinduphobia,” he said.
Citing a study, he said that Hinduphobia in social media is now graduating to physical attacks. “I call upon Canada to take serious note of this alarming trend and respond appropriately,” Arya said in Canadian parliament.
The Mayor of Brampton, Patrick Brown, has also condemned the attack on Gauri Shankar Mandir. “This hateful act of vandalism has no place in our City or Country. I have raised my concerns over this hate crime with @ChiefNish and @PeelPolice. Everyone deserves to feel safe in their place of worship.”
The @CityBrampton condemns the defacing of Gauri Shankar Mandir. This hateful act of vandalism has no place in our City or Country. I have raised my concerns over this hate crime with @ChiefNish and @PeelPolice. Everyone deserves to feel safe in their place worship.
— Patrick Brown (@patrickbrownont) January 30, 2023
This is not the first case in which Hindu temples have been targeted by extremists in Canada. In September last year, some Khalistani terrorists defaced BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Toronto with anti-India slogans. Several videos circulating on social media showed slogans of ‘Khalistan Zindabad, Hindustan Murdabad’ painted on the walls of the temple.
In February 2022, six Hindu temples were attacked in Toronto.
The attackers stole money from donation boxes as well as ornaments from the stolen idols. The attacks on the temples began on January 15, with an unsuccessful break-in at the Shri Hanuman Mandir in Brampton, a GTA town. The miscreants tried again and have since gone on a tirade.
