Hindu on Campus responds to Seattle Resolution
Ordinance passed in Seattle unfairly targeting Hindu Americans
Seattle, WA, February 21, 2023 — Despite protests from more than 100 Hindu, Indian and other subcontinental organizations and businesses, including Dalit Bahujan groups, temples, cultural associations, and allies urging the Seattle City Council to vote “No” on Kshama Sawant’’s proposed caste ordinance, the Seattle City Council passed the resolution introduced by Councilmember Sawant establishing ‘caste’ as a protected category under the city’s non-discrimination policy, making Seattle the first city in the United States to do so.
The coalition stated that “the law singles out South Asians and projects them as a group that discriminates MORE than any other and thus require special monitoring. This is inherently discriminatory and violates our rights to equal protection and due process guaranteed by our constitution and Washington State law.”
CoHNA, an active partner of HOC, published a letter to the Seattle City Council with over 100 signatories. This letter states that “the facts directly contradict the exaggerated claims that caste based discrimination is widespread, rampant and an urgent problem that must be addressed with this ordinance.”
Council Member Sara Nelson casted the lone dissenting vote and called the ordinance “a reckless, harmful solution to a problem for which we have no data or research.” She added “This could generate more anti-Hindu discrimination and could dissuade employers from hiring South Asians.” She also added that the ordinance could entangle the city in legal battles.
The coalition urged Councilmembers to vote against the law because it would “unfairly and unconstitutionally target people of South Asian descent or origin, subject them to special scrutiny, leave them vulnerable to bullying in schools, and deprive them of their fundamental civil rights in the workplace or elsewhere.”
Despite close to twenty thousand emails, numerous testimonials, and a letter signed by over 113 diverse organizations and businesses which include Dalit Bahujan groups, the council spent mere minutes on the hearing and made the decision shortly after. Proponents of this ordinance relied on information from groups that have openly called for dismantling of Hinduism and have instigated hate speech against a minority group.
This law was passed under the backdrop of rising Hinduphobia in America. According to 2020 Federal Bureau of Investigation data, hate crimes against Indian Americans are up 500%. The talent and contributions that Hindus make to American society is universally recognized, and yet ignorance about Hinduism is widespread, and the community finds itself the target of bigotry and hate.
At National Hindu Advocacy Day on the Hill, a historic event organized by the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) at the US Capitol in 2022, Congressman Hank Johnson (D-GA) pointed out, “important American leaders and thinkers have been inspired by Hindu values and ways of being. Martin Luther King, Jr. was one leader who was inspired by the philosophy of Mohandas Gandhi, and worked to end segregation and discrimination based on the theory and philosophy of nonviolence.”
The letter adds, “as Americans and people of South Asian origin, we oppose discrimination in any form — caste discrimination or otherwise — and strive for a society that is free of prejudice and bigotry. Fortunately, our country’s federal and state laws protect against caste discrimination under the existing categories of national origin and ancestry, both of which have been interpreted as inclusive of the various characteristics that might be associated with caste such as ancestry (lineage), birthplace, culture, ethnicity, or language.”
Hindu on Campus, in partnership with CoHNA and others, plans to continue the fight for justice and equality in the light of the city’s decision to violate the religious freedom guaranteed under the US constitution and Washington State Law and discriminate against a minority community.
