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September 25, 2008 (Washington, D.C.) - Hindu American Foundation (HAF) leaders and dozens of supporters descended on Capitol Hill during the Foundation's fifth annual Government Outreach and Leadership Conference garnering support for their agenda of human rights and religious liberty issues. A dinner reception held within the U.S. Capitol's rotunda was attended by legislators and national Hindu leaders alike.
In a sign of the Foundation's growing clout, several members of Congress took time to meet directly with the HAF delegation even on a day overshadowed by furious negotiations over the Bush fiscal rescue package.
"The Hindu American Foundation, through its extensive reports and events, brings much needed attention to the human rights abuses committed against Hindus worldwide," said Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) after meeting with the HAF delegation. "I hope to continue working with the Foundation and my colleagues to ensure these issues are highlighted and the rights of individuals is protected."
Nearly hour long meetings were held in the offices of Senators Barack Obama and John McCain as the foundation pressed senior staffers to respond to a religious freedom and human rights survey that HAF created this election season. The aim of the survey, according to the Foundation is to educate the Hindu American community as to the candidate's perspective and willingness to address concerns unique to their community.
"Our goal has always been to educate policy makers in the hope that they make policies in line with the vision of the Hindu American community," said Ishani Chowdhury, Director of Public Policy at HAF. "We were able to explain our international and domestic concerns to both candidates, and hope that they will provide specific answers to our election scorecard that will be an invaluable educational tool for Hindu voters."
While face to face meetings were held with the foundation's long standing supporters, the group made a special effort to broaden its outreach by meetings with the likes of Reps. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), John Kline (R-MN) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) among others. Reps. Jim McDermott (D-WA), Joe Wilson (R-SC) and Edward Royce (R-CA) were among those addressing over one hundred attendees of the evening reception.
The Foundation awarded the 2008 Mahatma Gandhi Award for the Advancement of Religious Pluralism to Rev. Barry Lynn and Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. A champion of religious diversity, the Foundation is working with Americans United in a lawsuit against the state of South Carolina over the issuance of license faiths exclusively for the Christian faith tradition.
The 2008 Friend of the Community Award was presented to Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA) for his longstanding support of the community. As co-chair of the House Caucus on India and Indian Americans, Rep. McDermott was instrumental in the introduction and passage of HRes 747, which recognized the significance of Diwali. He had also written to USCIS on the R1 religious worker visa issue, which if enacted, would unfairly impact Hindu priests and others who work at the 1000+ Hindu temples nationwide. "I have believed that the way to peace in the world was through understanding each other" said Rep. McDermott. "In this spirit and with this personal commitment, I accept this award." Raj Bhavsar (not in attendance), bronze medalist and member of the U.S. Olympic Men's Gymnastics team was also awarded the 2008 Friend of the Community Award for his accomplishments and contribution to the Hindu American community.
"Even though we are 1 billion worldwide, historically we have always followed a path of pluralism, with respect for all, and this is sometimes misunderstood," said Bawa Jain, Secretary-General of the The Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders and The World Council of Religious Leaders during his keynote address at the meeting. "My hope is that HAF will be a catalyst is bringing together these diverse voices so people can have a better understanding of our faith and Hindus can have greater influence in addressing these challenges."
Photos of HAF's 5th Annual Capitol Hill Evening Reception
The Hindu American Foundation is a 501(c)(3), non-profit, non-partisan organization promoting the Hindu and American ideals of understanding, tolerance and pluralism. Contact HAF at 1-301-770-7835 or on the web at www.HAFsite.org.
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