Community unites to clean gang graffiti targeting Dallas-area Hindu Temple
Dallas, TX (April 20, 2015) -- Leaders of the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) praised the residents of Old Lake Highlands as they joined members of the North Texas Hindu Mandir this pastSaturday to clean the graffiti spraypainted on the temple by vandals last week.
Neighbors and community members brought cleaning supplies and joined their fellow Hindu Americans to bring the temple back to its original state by painting over the violent gang symbols and other hateful messages. Local law enforcement officials also increased patrolling around the temple area.
“Mandir members and the Board are saddened by this event, but at the same time feel it has brought us closer to our neighbors and Old Lake Highlands residents,” said Shiva Maharaj, President of the North Texas Hindu Mandir. “The Mandir has always had a great relationship with our neighbors, but after this event, their outpouring of concern has sincerely touched us. We thank them for helping us with our ‘Clean Up Day - Painting over the Pain, while Rolling on New Memories.’”
This is the first time North Texas Hindu Mandir has been attacked since its founding in 2002. Temple officials stated that they would soon add surveillance cameras and construct a fence to ensure to temple’s safety and security.
“An attack on any house of worship is an affront to all people of faith,” said Dr. Rajiv Pandit, HAF Executive Council Member in Dallas. “And while this latest crime adds to a growing trend of intolerance towards the Hindu and other minority communities, the support shown by the temple’s neighbors represents one of the greatest qualities of everyday Americans.”
In October 2014, HAF released A Guide to Temple Safety and Security for Hindu American houses of worship and community centers after similar incidents of vandalism took place in Loudoun County, Virginia and in Monroe, Georgia. HAF has continuously encouraged community members across the country to remain vigilant with their temple’s security in order to prevent hate violence, cultivate good relations with local law enforcement, and report crimes immediately if and when they do occur. As of January 1, 2015, the Department of Justice ordered all crime reporting forms to include the category anti-Hindu under the possible motives of hate crimes.
Last month, HAF also worked closely to connect community leaders with Justice Department and federal law enforcement officials when temples were similarly targeted with vandalism in Bothell and Kent, Washington state.
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First fill your own house with the Fragrance of love...
Go not to the temple to light candles before the altar of God,
First remove the darkness of sin from your heart...
Go not to the temple to bow down your head in prayer,
First learn to bow in humility before your fellowmen...
Go not to the temple to pray on bended knees,
First bend down to lift someone who is down-trodden. ..
Go not to the temple to ask for forgiveness for your sins,
First forgive from your heart those who have sinned against you. (Tagore)
If Jesus and Tagore met, how would have that conversation gone?
Jesus: How are you Tagore?
Tagore: I am ok but little depressed also
Jesus: What are you depressed about?
Tagore: I wrote everything with good intention for the benefit of humanity. But see how your followers are twisting everything and tying everything to BJP.
Jesus: My followers! That is news to me.
Tagore: Then who are they? They sing about you, praise you, they talk about you, they build beautiful buildings and worship you there and always claim that they are Christians.
Jesus: I am sorry brother Tagore that you are hurt. My followers are those who follow me carrying the cross and travel through the path I travelled. My followers are those who love the neighbor, feed them when they are hungry, cloth them when they are naked, visit them when they are in jail for crime, and take care of them when they are sick. I have lot of followers like perter who was a rude and tough guy when he was fisher man, I have tax collectors who levied unreasonable taxed from public; I have prostitutes, gluttons, thieves, and many others who were thrown into the gutters by the so called Christians. My brother Tagore; I have told them many times that I would reject them If I happened to meet them. Don’t worry brother; continue doing what you are doing. There are millions of people around the world reading and getting their spirit uplifted. See, even Anthappan is quoting your poems to make people think even after your death.
Tagore: Can I ask you a question brother Jesus?
Jesus: Ask anything you want brother. There are no formalities between us.
Tagore: What does it mean when you said ‘Those who believe in you will never die and those who die will live again”?
Jesus: Oh! Brother; don’t make things complex by too much thinking. It is simple. When Anthappan is quoting yours and my words for uplifting the spirit of others even after our death, you and I are living through the history of the world. Look at me: Even though there are lots controversies there about my doctrine’s, nobody can pass a day without talking about me and that is living even after death.
Tagore; I feel much better brother Jesus.
Jesus: I am glad. Don’t worry about some of these people making commotion because I really don’t know who they are. Let our spirit within us forgive them because the spirit within us is the spirit of all and holy.
Tagore: I am glad that I met you. I wish all these Christians knew you well.
Jesus: Don’t worry about them. I don’t know them either.
Tagore: Good to meet you Jesus
Jesus: Likewise brother Tagore.
A brilliant conversation between Jesus and Tagore and good response to the slaves and slave Masters of Religions who bring division among the people. This action of the people in the picture shows and send a strong message that ‘ divided and rule’ is an old tool and not working, at least in this case.
How people without brain can understand the meaning of brilliant? The diagnosis is addiction and I mean religious addiction.