Hindu Council backs Royal Commission into hate
"If it can happen to Jews, it can happen to any migrant community" says national vice president Surinder Jain
The Hindu Council of Australia has thrown its support behind a federal Royal Commission into the terrorist attack at Bondi Beach, warning that unchecked hatred poses a threat to all Australian communities.
Surinder Jain, National Vice President of the Hindu Council of Australia, told the Australian Jewish News that the Bondi massacre demonstrated hate is prevalent across Australia.
“It’s not a state issue. I think the whole country has to come together and first of all, find out why did it happen, what led to it? And the Royal Commission is a good vehicle,” he said.
Jain emphasised that antisemitism is not solely a Jewish concern.
“Those who have hate in their heart, they’re not going to kill Jews only. They will kill anyone and everyone they hate. That’s why it’s not just a Jewish problem. It’s a problem for all Australians.”
He warned that hatred left unchecked could spread to other communities, pointing to the firebombings in Melbourne as evidence that the problem extends beyond New South Wales.
“There is a hate simmering against migrants right now, and if it is left unchecked, as antisemitism was left unchecked for two years, incidents can start happening to other communities also.”
Jain noted that the Jewish community’s long establishment in Australia made recent events particularly alarming for newer migrant groups.
“Jews are much more networked into Australia. They have been here for more than 100 years. If something can happen to them, then if it happens to one of the other migrant communities, we’ll have a much tougher time dealing with it.”
He said most Hindus were “devastated” by the attack.
“They have made their home in Australia, hoping that we have come to a safe country, a lucky country, where we will not see the kind of civil and political unrest that is seen in so many other countries. But what’s happened at Bondi, it has really shaken them up.”
Jain attributed the current wave of hatred to religious extremism.
“When we look at the current hate, it’s based on religion. It’s based on extreme interpretations of Holy Scriptures,” he said.
“We have to recognise it, and we have to deal with it.”
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