(COLUMBUS, OHIO 6/30/2022) – Last Friday, June 24, the Ohio Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) hosted Pieter Friedrich to inform the community on the rise of Hindutva in India and the U.S. ahead of CAIR-Ohio’s “Muslims Against Hindutva” rally the following day.
Friedrich is a freelance journalist specializing in the analysis of current and historical affairs in South Asia, with a particular focus on the issue of Hindu nationalism.
Hindutva is an ideology that espouses the supremacy of Hinduism and seeks to build a pure nation of Hindus in India. While this is a fascist ideology that has been present for many years, most recently, two Muslim men were brutally murdered by police during protests and there has been an uptick in illegal arrests and bulldozing of Muslim homes. This Islamophobic movement has also been growing in the U.S. over the past decade.
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Friedrich’s talk included an overview of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS), and other movements that are calling for the genocide of Indian Muslims, Christians, and Sikhs.
“As Muslims protested in India today, the police are being sent to their homes, their shops, even their masjids to bulldoze, demolish, and eradicate their residences, their livelihoods, and their places of worship,” said Friedrich.
Friedrich went on to share ways that community members can raise awareness and the importance of advocacy from American Muslims in preventing the further spread of these movements in the U.S.
The following day, CAIR-Ohio hosted a rally at Goodale Park in Columbus. CAIR-Ohio staff, interns, and community members were joined by Friedrich to bring awareness and speak up against the Hindutva movement.
“Unfortunately, the Hindutva ideology is growing here in the United States, and it’s being amplified and fed by our politicians who are speaking the same language,” said CAIR-Ohio Acting Executive Director Amina Barhumi. “We have to be very careful, and we must call out what’s happening.”
