HinduACTion, an advocacy organization dedicated to protecting the rights of Hindu and other minority communities globally, has welcomed the advocacy of several U.S. lawmakers in response to the escalating violence in Bangladesh, which has claimed thousands of lives, disproportionately affecting Hindu and other minority communities.
Members of Congress have been engaging with the U.S. State Department and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, urging immediate intervention to halt the atrocities. Congressman Shri Thanedar has been particularly vocal in a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, stating, "When Congress returns from recess, we must hold hearings to learn more about the failures to protect the Hindus and other minority groups in Bangladesh, as well as how to prevent these horrific actions from taking place again in the future."
Other lawmakers have echoed Thanedar's urgency. Congressman Rich McCormick expressed his dismay on social media, saying, "I’m deeply disturbed by the reports of sectarian violence targeting members of the Hindu minority and will work with my colleagues on the House Foreign Affairs Committee to help promote a peaceful democratic transition in Bangladesh."
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi and Congressman Pat Fallon also condemned the violence, with Fallon stressing the need for accountability, saying, "The targeting of Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and any other religious minority is reprehensible. Those who have instigated and participated in these acts of violence must be held responsible."
Amid these calls for action, over 100 people, including Hindus and members of the Bangladeshi diaspora, gathered in front of the White House on Aug.10, demanding that President Biden take decisive steps to protect minorities in Bangladesh. Chanting "Stop killing Hindus" and "Justice, justice, we want justice," the protesters urged U.S. intervention to prevent further bloodshed.
A larger protest and rally, co-hosted by HinduACTion, took place in New York City, where thousands of demonstrators assembled outside the United Nations headquarters and in Times Square. The crowd, voicing their outrage through chants like "Stop burning temples!" and "We want justice!" called for global attention to the crisis.
"The international community, and particularly the U.S. government, cannot stand idly by as these crimes against humanity continue," said Utsav Chakrabarti, executive director at HinduACTion. "We echo the calls for Congressional hearings to investigate these failures and to establish concrete measures that will prevent such violence in the future."
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