The Hindu Council of Australia (HCA) and the Australian Jewish Association (AJA) will not be intimidated by attempts to silence our voices or discredit our cause. We will continue to expose the persecution faced by Hindus, hold accountable those responsible, and demand that the Australian Government stands on the side of truth and justice.

We caution the Australian public and the Federal Government not to be swayed by misleading rhetoric that seeks to excuse violence and cover up the truth. History will judge those who stood idly by in the face of such
atrocities let us ensure that Australia is on the right side.

HCA and AJA condemn the inflammatory and misleading media statement issued by the Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV) on 13th August 2024. The ICV’s reckless attempt to whitewash atrocities against Hindu minorities in Bangladesh, while vilifying those who dare to speak out against such human rights violations, is not just disingenuous but also dangerous.

The Australian public and the government must recognise the clear bias at play here, which seeks to
downplay and even justify violence and oppression against Hindus by radical elements within the Muslim community.

Legitimate Concerns Cannot Be Silenced with Baseless Accusations of Racism. ICV’s labelling of the Australia Jewish Association (AJA) and the HCA’s legitimate concerns as “racist ideology” is a blatant attempt to distract from the grim reality of what is happening in Bangladesh. This tactic aims to stifle voices that bring attention to the persecution of Hindus by radical Islamist forces. We call upon all fair-minded Australians to see through this smoke screen.Protecting vulnerable communities is not racism – it is a stand for human rights, justice, and truth.

The Systematic Targeting of Hindus in Bangladesh is an Undeniable Reality, the persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh is real, it is ongoing, and it is driven by religious extremism. International reports, credible witnesses, and media coverage paint a horrifying picture of systematic killings, rapes, destruction of homes, and the erasure of people simply because they are Hindu.

ICV’s attempt to brush this aside as mere “political” incidents is a shameful denial of reality. By dismissing these atrocities, the ICV is effectively providing cover for the perpetrators, enabling the cycle of violence to continue unchecked.

We must call out the ICV’s dangerous narrative that attempts to reframe religious violence as politically motivated. The targeted attacks on Hindu temples, the desecration of sacred sites, and the coordinated assaults on Hindu homes in Bangladesh are clearly driven by religious hatred. To suggest otherwise is not only dishonest but deliberately misleading. Australians must be vigilant against such distortion of facts, which only serves to embolden those who commit these heinous acts.

ICV’s baseless comparison of Hindutva and Zionism to “racist ethnonationalist ideologies” is a deliberate attempt to incite division and demonise two communities that have been victims of religious hatred for several centuries. This reckless rhetoric seeks to equate cultural pride and the right to self-defence with extremism a gross misrepresentation designed to breed hostility. Australians must reject this dangerous narrative that attempts to justify radicalism while smearing those who stand up against it.

The Islamic Council of Victoria has a shocking track record of failing to acknowledge Islamic terrorism. Their attitudes and inflammatory remarks have been condemned by various organisations. There have been calls to cut their government funding. The ICV is the last group that should be lecturing other Australians about extremism or racism.

The Hindu Council of Australia and the Australian Jewish Association urge the Australian Government, civil society, and every fair-minded citizen to recognise the clear bias in the ICV’s narrative. This is not merely a debate about differing viewpoints it is a deliberate attempt to silence those who expose the truth while providing tacit support for those committing atrocities. We call on the government to take a firm stand against such misinformation, which only serves to embolden extremists who seek to import their hate and violence into our multicultural society.