Read press releases issued by the Australian Hindu Association:
PRESS RELEASE: Deepavali of our millennium
A 496 year wait for the world’s 1.2 billion Hindus will end on 22 January 2024, when the prana pratishtha (consecration ceremony) of Ram Lalla takes place at Ayodhya Ram Temple.
On this day, Australian Hindus will light diyas in their homes, fly bhagwa flags in their homes and cars; and celebrate the occasion in their temples. They will be celebrating the Deepavali of our millennium.
Ayodhya is the birth-place of Prabhu Shree Ram. Ayodhya is to Hindus what Mecca is to Muslims and what Jerusalem is to followers of Jesus Christ.
The Hindu epic – the Ramayan records the birth of Shree Ram in Ayodhya. Hindus believe that Shree Ram was born at Ram Janmabhoomi, Ayodhya several thousand years BCE.
The inspirational Shree Ram was a model ruler, son, husband, father and brother. Hindus throughout the world strive to emulate his qualities of integrity, humility, grace and fearlessness.
Shree Ram’s name is typically preceded by the words Maryada (he who always remains within ethical boundaries) and Purushottam (the ultimate amongst men).
Here are some facts about Ram Janmabhoomi:
In its judgement in Siddiq v Mahant Suresh Das on 9 November 2019, a five-judge bench of the Indian Supreme Court granted possession of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir site to Hindus.
India’s highest court found that Hindus have continuously held possessory title of the site.
A grand Ram Mandir is being built at Ayodhya only after all legal remedies of opposing parties have been exhausted. In building the temple, Hindus are exercising their lawful right of possession.
Jay Shree Ram.
Reports are emerging from Khalistani-sympathetic journalists that there was a ‘Hindu hand’ in the defacement of Burbank’s Shri Laxmi Narayan Hindu temple.
There is not a scintilla of evidence to support this theory.
The facts about this incident are as follows:
1. CCTV cameras were installed at the temple late on 3 March 2023.
2. As at about 6:30pm, the cameras were not working.
3. There is not a shred of evidence that the cameras were tampered with.
4. There was a working camera at neighbouring premises.
5. Those cameras recorded a vehicle driving to and leaving the vicinity of the temple in the early hours of the morning.
6. A half-hearted and low-priority investigation by Queensland has failed to apprehend any offender.
Reports suggesting that Khalistanis have been absolved from this attack are laughable.
The basis for the reports appears to be a passing comment in Right to Information documents obtained by Khalistani sympathisers. Amongst much other information, one of the documents contain a ‘theory’ that the attack could have been carried out by persons other than Khalistanis.
There is not an iota of evidence to support this ‘theory.’
There is, however, abundant evidence of the role of the Khalistan movement in violence, intimidation, terror and defacement of property.
The attack on the Burbank Temple has the same modus operandi as the attacks by Khalistanis on the BAPS Hindu Temple at Mill Park on 12 January 2023, the Vishnu Hindu Temple at Carrum Downs on 15 January 2023, the ISKON Hindu Temple at Albert Park on 23 January 2023 and the BAPS Hindu Temple at Rose Hill on 5 May 2023. These attacks also have striking similarities with Khalistani attacks on temples in Canada and the United States.
The hand in each of these attacks, including the one on Burbank, can be none other than that of the Khalistanis.
The suggestion that Hindus would be defacing their own place of worship is baseless and absurd.
Australian Hindus expect the Queensland Police Minister and its Police Commissioner to clarify publicly their position on this issue.
21 September 2023
The recent organised campaign of attacks on and intimidation of British Hindus and their temples by gangs of Islamist extremists is abhorrent and unacceptable.
Freedom of religion is a fundamental right in any constitutional democracy.
Egged on by a terror sympathiser – Majid Freeman, violent mobs have been carrying out targeted attacks on British Hindus and their property in Leicester. A Hindu temple was recently surrounded and insults hurled at devotees by these rogue elements.
The wave of violence has now spread to Birmingham.
The response of local law enforcement agencies, to date, has been ineffective; and has only emboldened these criminal elements.
Freedom of protest does not extend to preventing people from practicing their faith or committing acts of violence and vandalism on persons who practice a faith different to yours. What is taking place in Leicester and Birmingham is not protest; it is a targeted campaign against Hindus by vested interest groups.
Unless checked, the next part of this campaign will be the destruction of Hindu places of worship.
Hindus have not forgotten about the 40,000 plus temples that were demolished by those carrying this same ideology. We will not sit back and allow history to be repeated.
The Australian Hindu Association stands in solidarity with British Hindus and is ready to provide any assistance that they may need to defend themselves from such attacks.
Over 1 billion Hindus of the world are watching developments in Britain closely.
If not checked, this cancer will spread to other parts of the world, including Australia.
British law enforcement agencies must act now, before things spiral out of control.
22 September 2022
‘Swastika’ must not be criminalised in proposed Nazi hate legislation.
The Australian Hindu Association welcomes the Queensland Government’s proposal to ban Nazi hate symbols. However, it is incorrect and offensive to Hindus, to describe the Nazi Hakenkreuz as Swastika.
We have today written to the Queensland Premier and its Multicultural Affairs Minister setting out our concerns. The word Swastika must not be used in the proposed Queensland legislation to refer to the Nazi symbol Hakenkreuz.
Swastika (see above left) is an auspicious and sacred symbol that has been used by Hindus for thousands of years. The AHA’s own logo carries the Swastika symbol. Nowhere in Mein Kampf, published in the 1920s, did Adolf Hitler use the word Swastika.
Hitler refers to the Nazi symbol (see above right) at all times as Hakenkreuz. “Hooked cross” is the literal translation of Hakenkreuz into English.
The objects of the proposed legislation can properly be achieved by inserting the relevant symbols into the body of the legislation; rather than through the use of misleading descriptions such as Swastika.
The Queensland government must consult with Hindu, Buddhist and Jain organisations, including the AHA, before tabling the proposed legislation.
Referring to the Hakenkreuz as Swastika in legislation will expose Hindus who are practising their faith to the risk of criminal prosecution.
Further, before any Nazi hate legislation comes into force, it is imperative that the Queensland government educates Queensland politicians, media, police and the general public about the difference between the Swastika and the Hakenkreuz.
26 May 2022
While the breach of protocol at the event organised with the Liberal Party by the Hindu Council of Australia on 14 May 2022 is regrettable, the issue of Khalistani terror raised by the questioner is a most pertinent one.
At no point did the questioner criticise the Sikh community.
The Prime-Minister appeared to be happy to answer the question.
The video can be viewed here: https://twitter.com/austhindu/status/1526191758576873473?t=NZSi3ma26imRBRhhzRrfAg&s=09
The threat of Khalistani terror in Australia is real, particularly given that the banned terrorist outfit – Sikhs for Justice has established a presence in Australia.
There is a worrisome trend in Australia of pictures of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale adorning the walls of various Sikh religious institutions. Most of these bodies are registered charities and receive government funding in the millions.
There needs to be an education campaign and a rational debate in Australia about Bhindranwale and Khalistan terror.
Bhindranwale is the same man who was responsible for a wave of terror in India’s Punjab in the 1980s which saw more than 20,000 Hindus, Sikhs and other Indians killed. His bands of supporters were also responsible for waves of abductions, looting, rapes and other forms of violence.
In one speech, Bhindranwale said, ‘If you don’t release my bus by 5pm, I will hack 5,000 Hindus to pieces in one hour. ‘
The video can be viewed here: https://twitter.com/SikhsSeva/status/1525267152462393344?s=20&t=KUtRNIhvTk8PCMdcEzjA2A
No sane person wants to see a return of Khalistani terror and its export into Australia.
Since the HCA event, a video has been posted on the FaceBook page of Amar Singh in which the speaker states in Punjabi, ‘…come all Sikhs let’s get together and launch an attack (‘…aaiye sab Sikhon katha hoiye te hamla karine …’)
That video can be viewed here: https://www.facebook.com/fully.sikhamar/videos/730695254614339
Such incendiary threats are deplorable and unacceptable.
As the Prime Minister rightly said in response to the questioner at the HCA event, “ ‘..we don’t want a transfer of hatred or violence…they can stay away from Australia. It has no part in Australia…’
The questioner at the HCA event expressed the broad sentiments of ordinary Australian Hindus.
Hindus will not support any politician who associates with terror sympathisers or terror apologists.
17 May 2022
Swastika is an auspicious and sacred symbol that has been used by Hindus for thousands of years.
The AHA’s own logo carries the Swastika symbol. Nowhere in Mein Kampf, published in the 1920s, did Adolf Hitler use the work Swastika. Hitler refers to the Nazi symbol at all times as Hakenkreuz. “Hooked cross” is the literal translation of Hakenkreuz into English.
It is incorrect and offensive to Hindus to refer to the Hakenkreuz as Swastika.
If the purpose of legislation is to criminalise Nazi hate symbols, then that purpose is best expressed in legislation by graphically identifying those symbols in the legislation.
Going further, and referring to the Hakenkreuz as Swastika, is misleading and prone to confusing those charged with enforcing the law.
It will expose Hindus who are practising their faith to the risk of criminal prosecution.
The AHA strongly urges the Federal and any State governments proposing such legislation to ensure that the symbol is inserted in the body of the legislation, rather than a reference to the Swastika.
2 March 2022