Connecting Global Threads of Faith Newsletter # 1 August
- Editorial Team GHTN
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Editor’s Note…
Across nations and centuries, the Hindu community face trials that test its resilience, be it through violence or systemic prejudice. These moments are reminders that the preservation of Dharma is not merely a matter of faith, but of safeguarding an ancient heritage whose endurance rests on vigilance, unity, and unwavering commitment to truth…
August Newsletter – 1
(August 01 – August 15)
"In a connected world, Hindu struggles and resilience amid violence often remain unseen. This fortnightly report sheds light on these overlooked realities, offering a global overview of incidents affecting Hindus and celebrating our heritage, advocating for Hindu rights and religious freedom worldwide."
Asia
Bangladesh
Since 2021, India has raised 334 incidents of violence against minorities in Pakistan and 3,582 in Bangladesh, highlighting targeted attacks particularly on Hindus, at the UN and in bilateral talks. Reports cite mob assaults, desecration of temples, and official complicity, with both nations failing to ensure safety, dignity, and rights for their minority communities.
Two innocent Hindus, an old man and his son-in-law were brutally lynched by a mob in Rangpur, Bangladesh, over a false theft accusation, highlighting the deadly targeting of Hindus on mere suspicion.
Pakistan
Every year in Pakistan, around 2,000 Hindu and Christian minor girls are abducted, forcibly married to Muslim men, and converted to Islam, with courts often siding with abductors despite clear evidence. The VOPM report
(https://thevopm.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Minority-Report-2024.pdf) warns that these crimes rooted in systemic discrimination, Sharia precedence over constitutional rights, and impunity continue to devastate minority families, especially Hindus.
India
The Supreme Court has questioned the Uttar Pradesh government’s haste and “clandestine” approach in taking over Vrindavan’s historic Banke Bihari temple, hinting at recalling its earlier order permitting use of temple funds for a corridor project and suggesting interim management by a court-appointed committee.
Ancient Shivlings and Hindu idols linked to Kashmir’s Karkoota dynasty unearthed in Anantnag, sparking calls for temple reconstruction and heritage preservation.
North America
United States of America
Anti-Hindu hate crimes in California rose for the fourth straight year, from 7 in 2023 to 10 in 2024, but advocacy groups slammed Attorney General Rob Bonta for omitting Hindus in his response and noted persistent underreporting and lack of arrests in temple attack cases.
A family of Hindu Indian-origin grandparents from New York who went missing during a religious road trip have been found dead next to their car in West Virginia, authorities confirmed on Saturday.
Khalistani extremists vandalised the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Greenwood, Indiana, with anti-India graffiti, marking the fourth desecration in less than a year. Hindu groups condemned it as a hate crime amid a growing trend of attacks on temples across the US.
Canada
Rajendra Chola’s 11th-century naval conquest of Srivijaya was a high point of Chola power, but the legacy of temple architecture from Raja Raja Chola’s master Perunthachan to modern-day sthapati Ganapati has endured and spread globally, thanks in part to the timely encouragement of sage Ramana Maharshi. This lineage, once on the verge of extinction, now thrives in Tamil-style temples across the world.
Over 10,000 devotees gathered in Mississauga, Canada, for the unveiling of North America’s tallest Lord Ram idol, a 51-foot murti at the Hindu Heritage Center, symbolizing faith, pride, and cultural harmony. The event drew Canadian ministers, opposition leaders, and Indian diplomats, marking a milestone for the Hindu diaspora.
Pacific
Australia
Hindu leaders have urged Nestlé to apologise and recall Australian products allegedly containing undisclosed beef gelatine, calling it a grave violation of Hindu religious sentiments.
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