The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) has expressed appreciation of and support to the initiative taken by Hindu Council of New Zealand in building Hindu-Maori relations.
En route to attending the World Parliament of Religions in Melbourne, Australia Dr. Mihir Meghani, President of the Hindu American Foundation visited New Zealand to see part of New Zealand’s landscape and also to meet with Hindu and Maori community leaders.
Dr. Meghani met with Kaumatua John Marsh (MBE JP), Shaloh Mitchell of Ohinemutu village tours, and Natanahira Te pona, Rotorua’s Tohunga Whakairo (master carver), who sculpted a Maori carving of a "Rehua" to celebrate the journey of friendship between Hindu and Maori communities during the Rotorua Deepawali Festival recently.
Dr. Guna Magesan, general secretary of Hindu Council of New Zealand, briefed the visitor how Hindu Council of New Zealand built relations with the Maori community over the years and the partnership with Maori community during recent festival.
“I am impressed with the Hindu Maori relations initiative and would like to explore how such initiatives can be implemented in the US with local indigenous people” Dr. Meghani said.
“By incorporating Maori cultural traditions into the Deepawali festival, Hindus in New Zealand have shown respect for the Maori heritage and brought the Hindu and Maori communities closer together” he added.
“I am pleased to hear that so many Maori community members attended the festival and one of them even helped to raise some funds for education in India with her henna skills.”
Dr. Meghani also appreciated Hindu Council of New Zealand’s regular Marae stay programme for the Indian community to learn, understand and experience Maori culture and customs.
The Hindu American Foundation was launched in 2003 and it is an advocacy group providing a progressive voice for over two million Hindu Americans and is led by professionals. In 2009, the Foundation won the Hindu Renaissance Award from Hinduism Today magazine for outstanding Hindu organization of the year.
The Foundation interacts with and educates leaders in public policy, academia, media and the public at large about Hindu Dharma and global issues concerning Hindus. It has established unblemished credibility as a respectable voice for Hindus in front of U.S. Congressman and Senators, the U.S. Supreme Court, newspapers like the Chicago Tribune and Washington Post, and powerful organizations such as the American Jewish Committee.
HAF won a lawsuit against the California State Board of Education for inequity in treating Hindus during the school textbook adoption process; represented Hindu, Jain and Buddhist interests and perspectives to the U.S. Supreme Court in a case involving the display of the Ten Commandments on government property ; advocated successfully for the passage of the Congressional Deepawali Resolutions; highlights Hindu human rights violations at Congressional Human Rights Caucus briefings and releases annual reports on the status of human rights of Hindus where they are minorities; got Burger King Corporation to remove ads in Spain that featured Goddess Lakshmi sitting on top of a sandwich; and has worked to build a coalition to present the viewpoint of conversion and religious freedom that protects pluralism and promotes tolerance and understanding.
One of HAF’s programmes, about the Hindu origins of Yoga, has been accepted at the World Parliament of Religions and they have also been asked to speak at another session on freedom of religion.