NEW YORK – The Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations of North America (FIACONA) has voiced strong objections to the inclusion of an anti-Muslim float in the upcoming India Day Parade on August 18 in New York City.
Organized by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America in collaboration with the Indian Consulate, the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, and the Federation of Indian Associations, the float has been criticized for contradicting New York City’s values of “inclusivity and respect.”
In response to the parade float, FIACONA has initiated an Open Letter signed by over 300 clergy and lay leaders from various denominations, condemning religious persecution in India and the growing influence of Hindu supremacist nationalism in the U.S. Drawing parallels to their own history of persecution, FIACONA members expressed a deep responsibility to speak out against such injustices.
FIACONA expressed solidarity with Indigenous and Native peoples whose sacred sites have been desecrated, comparing these actions to the destruction of the Babri Mosque and the construction of the Ram Temple in India. They argued that such acts advance an ethnonational agenda that contradicts the inclusive and diverse values New York City represents.
The organization stressed in the press release that remaining silent while Muslims face similar erasure attempts in India would make Christians complicit.
C. India West Journal