Ohio: Hindu temple vandalized, bricks used to damage building
What's the story
The Shree Swaminarayan Hindu Temple Vadtaldham in Richmond Heights, Ohio, was vandalized on Friday. The incident occurred while priests and some devotees were inside the temple. The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA), a US-based Hindu advocacy group, reported that bricks were used to damage the building and shatter its windows.
Community response
CoHNA calls for swift action
In the wake of the incident, CoHNA has urged Richmond Heights Mayor Kim Thomas and local authorities to condemn this act of vandalism.
The group also called for immediate police action against those responsible.
"We call upon Mayor Kim Thomas and @RichmondHtsOH to condemn such bigotry and @PoliceRichmond to take swift action against the perpetrator," they wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
HAF's statement
HAF condemns incident as possible hate crime
The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) has also condemned the incident as a possible hate crime.
The foundation's Executive Director, Suhag Shukla, emphasized that "online hate has morphed into a real-world attack on a Hindu temple."
He stressed the need to review video footage and catch the perpetrator behind this act of vandalism.
Cultural significance
Similar attacks on Hindu religious sites in US
The vandalism comes as the Indian-American community in Ohio is gearing up to celebrate Hindu Heritage Month.
The Navaratri festival is less than 10 days away, adding to the significance of this incident.
CoHNA has previously documented similar attacks on Hindu religious sites across the United States, including vandalism at Shri Tulsi Mandir in Queens, New York (August 2022) and graffiti at SMVS Shri Swaminarayan Temple in Newark, California (December 2023).