Are the Greens a Hinduphobic Party?
– The Australian Greens party has faced accusations of Hinduphobia from various members of the Hindu community in Australia, with specific incidents and rhetoric contributing to these claims:
– Mehreen Faruqi’s Remarks: Mehreen Faruqi, a Pakistani-origin senator from the Australian Greens, has been criticized for her comments in the Senate degrading Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and attributing incidents of racism and violence in Australia to his nationalist politics. Hindu organisations have condemned her remarks as divisive, and Hinduphobic, accusing her of targeting the Hindu community under the guise of criticising Modi’s policies[1].
– Hindu Council of Australia’s Criticism: The Hindu Council of Australia has expressed dissatisfaction with the Greens’ rhetoric, particularly during the Queensland state election. They highlighted divisive comments and a perceived lack of respect for Hindu culture, urging the community to place the Greens last on their ballots. The Greens clearly need to rebuild trust with the Hindu community. [2].
– David Shoebridge’s Comments: NSW Greens member David Shoebridge has also been accused of making comments that vilify Hindus. His remarks were condemned in the NSW Parliament, with calls for him to apologies to the Hindu community. [3][8].
– Broader Concerns: Several Hindu community groups have pointed out systemic issues, including a lack of representation of Hindu culture in diversity programs and incidents of cultural disrespect. They argue that such exclusion fosters an environment where Hinduphobia can thrive. [3].
These controversies have led to growing mistrust between sections of the Hindu community and the Australian Greens, with calls for more inclusive and respectful political discourse.
Citations:
[1]https://www.opindia.com/2021/12/pakistani-origin-senator-attacks-hindus-under-thepretext-of-targeting-modi/
[2]https://hinducouncil.com.au/hindus-losing-faith-in-the-greens-political-party/
[3]https://documents.parliament.qld.gov.au/com/LASC-C96E/I20CA/submissions/00000051.pdf
[4]https://hinducouncil.com.au/category/hinduphobia/
[5]https://www.theaustraliatoday.com.au/hinduphobic-greens-shunned-by-labor-leaderalbanese-amid-concerns-by-hindu-community/
[6]https://stophinduhate.org/hindu-haters-2/people/janet-rice/
[7]https://www.instagram.com/qldjewishcollective/reel/DHmbUpWzxU8/
[8]https://www.theaustraliatoday.com.au/is-greens-partys-political-discourse-normalisingworst-form-of-hinduphobia/
Ask Your Local Greens MP to Condemn Hinduphobia & Anti-Semitism
Fact: Following the tragic events of October 7, the Greens were the only Australian political party that refused to support a federal parliamentary motion condemning the Hamas massacre. [3]
Similarly, the Australian Greens have neither taken specific nor documented actions directly addressing concerns about Hinduphobia in their own ranks.
So are the Greens Progressive Except for Jews and Hindus? (PEJH) Here’s 3 questions you can ask your local Greens MP to find out.
Question 1: Do the Greens Endorse the National Anti-Racism Framework including AntiSemitism and Hinduphobia?:
Background: The Greens have called for the implementation of a National Anti-Racism Framework, which includes measures to tackle systemic racism and hate crimes. This framework emphasizes intersectional and community-driven approaches to combating racism, which would encompass addressing Hinduphobia and Anti-Semitism – if only the Greens actually did. [1].
Question 2: Do the Greens acknowledge and condemn the persecution of Hindus in Kashmir, Pakistan and Bangladesh?
Background: Commitment to Protecting Anti-Discrimination Laws: The Greens have opposed weakening Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, which protects against hate speech. Their commitment to maintaining strong anti-discrimination laws aligns with their broader anti-racist agenda[2]. However, like they have refused to condemn the massacre of Jews by Hamas, the Greens refuse to condemn the genocide of Hindus (and other non-Muslim minorities) in Kashmir, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Question 3: Do the Greens endorse the National Hate Crime Data Collection to include incidents of Hinduphobia?
Background: – Advocacy for Hate Crime Data Collection: The Greens party supports the establishment of a national hate crimes database to improve data collection on racism and engage communities with lived experiences of discrimination in designing solutions. This initiative could help document and address incidents of Hinduphobia as part of broader antiracism efforts. [1].
- Citations:
[1]https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Legal_and_Constitutional_Affairs/RWExtremists23/Report/Australian_Greens_additional_comments - [2]https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Human_Rights_inquiries/FreedomspeechAustralia/Report/d02
- [3]https://fathomjournal.org/progressive-except-for-jews-pejs-the-australian-greens-andthe-7-october-hamas-death-squad-massacre/
- [4]https://greens.org.au/vic/achievements
- [5]https://greens.org.au/policies
- [6]https://greens.org.au
- [7]https://greens.org.au/portfolios/environment
- [8]https://hinducouncil.com.au/category/hinduphobia/
