In response to the US Justice Department’s Community Relations Service announcement of the creation of the new “Engaging and Building Relationships with Hindu American Communities” program, HAF Executive Director Suhag Shukla commented:
“We welcome this initiative and appreciate the opportunity to have worked closely with the Department of Justice’s Community Relations Service in their development of the program. It was also very gratifying to see that our educational resources were appreciated and of immense value to the training materials. These types of trainings combined with efforts to build robust relationships between local institutions and local law enforcement are critical to keeping our communities safe. It’s a great step as we await the DOJ and CRS’ response to our repeated inquiries about the spate of attacks on Hindu temples in the past few years.”
Last March, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi led a letter of inquiry alongside other Indian American members of Congress requesting a briefing from the Department of Justice on the status of investigations into recent vandalism at houses of worship across the country, attacks on mandirs, and the Department’s broader strategy against hate crimes targeting Hindus in the United States. The response from the Department of Justice, if any, has not been made public.
Background of the program from the Community Relations Service:
“Created by the Justice Department’s Community Relations Service, the “Engaging and Building Relationships with Hindu American Communities” program is designed to educate law enforcement, schools, religious and secular communities, and public and private organizations toward a more positive and supportive engagement with Hindu Americans and communities.
The new program is a five-part, four-hour training that affords participants a deeper understanding of the Hindu culture and experiences and an opportunity to create strategies to construct stronger relationships with Hindu communities. Informed by current data and peer-reviewed historical research, and produced in consultation with representatives from major Hindu American organizations in the United States, the program offers:
- A thoughtful overview with critical highlights of Hindu philosophy, faith, and practice;
- A clear view of the harm caused by misinformation and misconceptions about Hindu American communities, including hate crimes against Hindu Americans;
- Culturally informed insights on designing a community engagement plan for inter-community relationships based on mutual trust, communication, and respect.
CRS is proud to partner with major Hindu American organizations to produce this program and looks forward to continuing that partnership in offering this program to all communities in America.
The “Engaging and Building Relationships with Hindu Americans” program will be available to interested communities at no cost.
Communities and organizations interested in participating this program may contact askCRS@usdoj.gov. Additional information about the Community Relations Service’s work with communities facing hate crimes, discrimination, and conflict based on race, religion, and other protected characteristics is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crs.”
