Washington, D.C. (October 2, 2015) -- Leaders of the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) condemned the alleged lynching of a Muslim mana in an Indian village earlier this week. Mohammed Akhlaq was killed and his son was left badly beaten, reportedly over rumors they had killed a cow.

HAF leaders urged local authorities in Bisara village near the town of Dadri, located near Delhi, to enact justice for those accused in the brutal attack. While there were some conflicting reports on the violence, HAF representatives unequivocally condemned such violence, saying it ran contrary to Hindu teachings regarding the sanctity of all life and ahimsa, or non-harming, and Hinduism’s history of mutual respect and pluralism.

“Hinduism has survived in India and across the world because of its acceptance of others and its central belief of respect for all living beings,” said HAF Executive Council member and India strategic relations director Swami Venkataraman. “These incidents, however isolated, must be condemned by all Hindus.”

HAF Executive Director Suhag Shukla also urged other Hindu leaders to speak out, noting that such incidents tarnish India’s long history of religious pluralism as well as Hindu teachings.

“The privileging of an animal’s life over that of a man and his son in this horrible incident is a perversion of our teachings. Indeed, the cow is considered sacred by Hindus, but this shouldn’t lead to dogma.” Shukla said. “Moreover, political parties in India need to step back and examine the rhetoric, especially of fringe elements, that leads to such perverse incidents, and understand their responsibility in preventing them from occurring.” 

Indian-American Muslim Council condemns lynching

New York, Oct 5 (IANS) The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) has condemned the lynching of a Muslim man following rumours that he ate beef in Uttar Pradesh.

"Beyond the mob's inhuman behaviour, it is alarming to note that the police have sent the meat from the victim's refrigerator to a forensic lab to be tested, out of apparent respect for the mob's feelings," a statement posted on the IAMC website said.

"This effectively turns the victim into the accused, despite the fact that even if the family were in possession of beef, they were not in violation of the Uttar Pradesh Cow Protection Act," the statement added.

The IAMC also accused the authorities for their inaction, calling on the media to "expose the larger design behind the incident".

A week ago, Mohammad Akhlaq, a resident of Bisara in Greater Noida, was dragged out of his house after a mob alleged he had killed a cow in his house.

The IAMC said the incident was made to appear like a spontaneous act of violence by an unruly crowd but there are strong indications that this was a planned act.

The lynching was intended to terrorise the Muslim population of the area and suppress dissent across India over the beef ban implemented in some states, it added.

The IAMC is an advocacy group of Indian Muslims in the US "dedicated to safeguarding India's pluralist and tolerant ethos".