NEW YORK, Aug 19 : Indian-American Muslims stayed away from India\u2019s 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.
\nSeveral 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.
\nAmong 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.
\nBut the parade organizers rejected calls to remove the float \u2014 which is 18 feet long, 9 feet wide, and 8 feet tall \u2014 saying it celebrates the inauguration of a sacred landmark that is significant to hundreds of millions of Hindus.
\nThe 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.
\nIn January this year, during and after the Ram Temple\u2019s consecration ceremony, Hindu nationalist mobs unleashed waves of anti-Muslim violence throughout India, including the desecration of mosques.
\nIt 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.
\n\u201cI am a Hindu and from the bottom of my heart, I reject Hindu fundamentalism and Hindu extremism,\u201d Sahi said.
\n\u201cThere 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,\u201d Sahi added.
\nAt Sunday\u2019s parade, the float was decorated with garlands while the members of the Indian diaspora, dressed in traditional attire and holding the India\u2019s tricolour, danced around it.
\nBollywood actress Sonakshi Sinha served as the grand marshal of the parade which took place on New York City\u2019s Madison Avenue.
\nIn a press release, the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) said it has withdrawn its float depicting the contribution of Muslims to the humanity following the parade organizer\u2019s refusal to pull out the Ram Mandir float.<\/p>\n
Imtiaz Siamwalla, the president of Indian Muslims of North America sent a letter to parade organizers Saturday, notifying them of the decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt 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,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n
Siamwalla said the Ram Mandir float is political symbolism meant to intimidate Muslims in attendance at Sunday\u2019s parade.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey want to show the minorities \u2013 look what we did in our country we can do it here too, this is all for intimidation,\u201d Siamwalla said.<\/p>\n
Other groups had also called on parade organizers to not allow the float in Sunday\u2019s parade, saying it\u2019s an overt politicization of an event meant to celebrate Indian people, not their politics.<\/p>\n
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 \u201cdivisive.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo one should be using any anti-conversations in marching these parades,\u201d said Mayor Eric Adams at a press conference last week. \u201cI want to send a symbolic gesture that the city is open to everyone and there\u2019s no room for hate.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NEW YORK, Aug 19 : Indian-American Muslims stayed away from India\u2019s 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 […]<\/p>\n
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