FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Hindu Mahasabha of America, Inc.
Hindu Mahasabha of America condemns threat issued against
Bangladeshi Hindus by Islamic terroists
American Hindus represented by Hindu Mahasabha of America condemn
Bangladesh's terrorist Islamic party Harkat-E- Islam Al-Jihad's issuance
of ultimatum threatening to wage attacks on the country's Hindus and
Buddhists, and burn down their dwelling Houses (The Daily Sangbad, Nov. 3,
2003, and The Weekly Kagoj Nov. 7, 2003) unless they convert to Islam in a
week's time. The Daily Janakantha (Nov. 11, 2001) reported that on Monday
Nov. 5, 2001, after rampaging the village of Daspara during which a Hindu
priest was killed and many injured, the Islamic terrorists issued the
following ultimatum: "Either convert to Islam by the 10th of January or
else you will be driven out of the country."
Similarly, in September 2002, the Islamic Solidarity of Bangladesh issued
letters of ultimatum to five Hindu professors of Chittagong University
accusing them of being "enemies of Islam." Verbal issuance of such
ultimatums to the Hindus to pay infidel tax or make their women available
until they convert to Islam or leave the country for India has been a
routine affair. Since October 2001, when the ruling "Islamic hardliners"
assumed power with absolute majority in the parliament, the situation has
worsened.
Consequently, the Hindus and Buddhists of Bangladesh are fleeing to India
en masse. This is how the minority population of Bangladesh which was
nearly 30% in the 1940s has declined to less than 10%, which translates to
a loss of nearly 50 million Hindus. Needless to India had to absorb them
all. Sadly, the parties that comprise the ruling "Islamic hardliners"
(The Guardian, Oct. 2, 2001)have encouraged their cadres to conduct such
atrocities and serve such ultimatums.
The American Hindus not only deplore the ruling parties' for their support
to the perpetrators of such heinous crimes against the Hindus and
Buddhists of the country, but would also like to warn that unless they
immediately stop such barbarity there might be infinitely more devastating
repurcussions in India, affecting its 150 million Muslims. It would be
foolish on their part to believe that there can be Islamic brotherhood
involving the entire Islamic world but the Hindus all over the world,
particularly in India, will remain aloof when Bangladesh government wipes
out its minority Hindu and Buddhist communities.
For further information, please contact:
Hindu Mahasabha of America, Inc.
Bangla Hindu Awareness Project
Contact: Bidyut Sarker
Tel. 212-253-7087
E-mail: bidyut.sarker@hinduworld.com
or
Office of Public Relations
Tel. 847-274-0459
E-mail: hmsa@hinduworld.com
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