5 Disturbing Highlights From A Rally For Hindu Supporters Of Trump
Where do we even begin?
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump enlists the help of Republican Hindu Coalition Chairman Shalli Kumar (2nd R) and others to light a ceremonial diya lamp before he speaks at a Bollywood-themed charity concert put on by the Republican Hindu Coalition in Edison, New Jersey, U.S. JONATHAN ERNST / REUTERS
10/18/2016 05:12 pm ET
Carol Kuruvilla
Associate Religion Editor
Donald Trump’s (lack of) religious and cultural literacy was on full display Saturday, during a charity event set up by the Republican Hindu Coalition.
On Saturday, the GOP presidential candidate visited Edison, New Jersey, home to one of the state’s largest Indian populations, to drum up support among American Hindus ― a demographic group that tends to swing Democratic.
Billed as a charity concert, the program mixed Bollywood-style performances with overt Islamophobia and nationalistic rhetoric.
Anantanand Rambachan, a professor of religion at Minnesota’s St. Olaf College, watched the televised event from his home. Like a number of Indian Americans online, he found many aspects of the event disturbing. Rambachan told The Huffington Post that he even though the organization had the word “Hindu” in its title, it seemed to have “very little to do with Hinduism” as a philosophy and much more to do with promoting a strong relationship between the United States and India ― and trying to rally Hindus for Trump.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/5-disturbing-highlights-from-a-rally-for-hindu-supporters-of-trump_us_58051126e4b0162c043d64db?
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This is why Donald is dangerous. He has no desire to learn about India--in its complexity--or any other country.
4. These absolutely ludicrous signs.
The RHC seemed to be promoting the idea that Trump would help Indian immigrants get their green cards faster. The organizers printed hundreds of signs for attendees at the charity event that said as much ― even though Trump has often spoken about his plan to restrict immigration to America.
In fact, he’s said that he’s “totally committed” to ending the use of the H-1B visa as a “cheap labor program,” in favor of giving jobs to American workers first. Indian citizens receive almost 70 percent of all H-1B visas issued worldwide.
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5. The myth of the “model minority” returned with a vengeance.
Conveniently forgetting his anti-immigrant stance, Trump praised Indians during the RHC event, stating that their values of “hard work, education, and enterprise” have enriched America and pointing out the Indian Americans have high rates of entrepreneurship and college education. ..................................
The Aftermath: Indian Americans across the country collectively cringed.
Overall, Rambachan said that the Hindus he’s spoken to about this event were “troubled and embarrassed.” ....................................................
