NEW YORK, Aug 19 : Indian-American Muslims stayed away from India’s Independence Day parade in New York City on Sunday to protest the inclusion of a float featuring Ram Mandir that they say glorifies anti-Muslim violence, the destruction of historic mosques, and Hindu supremacy.
Several U.S.-based civil rights organizations had written a letter to New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York Governor Kathy Hochul, seeking their intervention to remove the controversial float, saying it was anti-Muslim.
Among the groups who signed the letter were the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), and Hindus for Human Rights.
But the parade organizers rejected calls to remove the float — which is 18 feet long, 9 feet wide, and 8 feet tall — saying it celebrates the inauguration of a sacred landmark that is significant to hundreds of millions of Hindus.
The Ram Temple stands on the ruins of the historic Babri Mosque in Ayodhya that was demolished in 1992 by a mob of over 150,000 right-wing Hindu militants. The demolition sparked widespread riots across northern India, resulting in the deaths of thousands, predominantly Muslims.
In January this year, during and after the Ram Temple’s consecration ceremony, Hindu nationalist mobs unleashed waves of anti-Muslim violence throughout India, including the desecration of mosques.
It was not just Indian Muslims who spoke out against the inclusion of the float. Ajit Sahi, advocacy director for the Indian American Muslim Council, said parade organizers are allowing Hindu extremist ideology to taint what is supposed to be a celebration of independence and secularism.
“I am a Hindu and from the bottom of my heart, I reject Hindu fundamentalism and Hindu extremism,” Sahi said.
“There are Hindus in the United States and in India who oppose this temple and the politics that it brings this temple is politics. This temple is not culture, this temple is not faith,” Sahi added.
At Sunday’s parade, the float was decorated with garlands while the members of the Indian diaspora, dressed in traditional attire and holding the India’s tricolour, danced around it.
Bollywood actress Sonakshi Sinha served as the grand marshal of the parade which took place on New York City’s Madison Avenue.
In a press release, the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) said it has withdrawn its float depicting the contribution of Muslims to the humanity following the parade organizer’s refusal to pull out the Ram Mandir float.
Imtiaz Siamwalla, the president of Indian Muslims of North America sent a letter to parade organizers Saturday, notifying them of the decision.
“It is with a heavy heart that we find ourselves compelled to withdraw our float since the integrity of the parade has been called into the question,” he wrote.
Siamwalla said the Ram Mandir float is political symbolism meant to intimidate Muslims in attendance at Sunday’s parade.
“They want to show the minorities – look what we did in our country we can do it here too, this is all for intimidation,” Siamwalla said.
Other groups had also called on parade organizers to not allow the float in Sunday’s parade, saying it’s an overt politicization of an event meant to celebrate Indian people, not their politics.
A number of New York lawmakers had already spoken out against the use of hate symbols during the event, at the urging of Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Jewish, and Black activists who labeled the Ram Temple float “divisive.”
“No one should be using any anti-conversations in marching these parades,” said Mayor Eric Adams at a press conference last week. “I want to send a symbolic gesture that the city is open to everyone and there’s no room for hate.”
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