Hindu American Foundation takes legal action against libelous accusations
- In Reports
- 05:39 PM, Apr 21, 2021
- Myind Staff
The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) sent five cease and desist notices on Monday, to organizations and individuals who have made libelous statements against HAF, published in two articles by Al Jazeera.
According to the statement issued on April 19, the recipients of this notice are Hindus for Human Rights co-founders Sunita Vishwanath and Raju Rajagopal, Rasheed Ahmed of the Indian American Muslim Council, and Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations’ John Prabhudoss, as well as both the author of one of the articles, Raqib Hameed Naik, and Al Jazeera as an organization.
Furthermore, a Rutgers-Newark Associate Professor Audrey Truschke was served with a cease-and-desist notice due to her exemplification of these libelous articles on social media, along with a thread of her own defamatory statements about HAF. Truschke recently posted on social media the libelous accusation that HAF and members of its Board of Directors coordinated a campaign of violent threats against her.
“As the largest professionally-staffed Hindu advocacy organization in the United States, serving the three million strong Hindu American community, HAF is highly visible and often subject to harassment and abuse,” said Suhag Shukla, Esq., HAF’s Executive Director.
“The Al Jazeera articles and those quoted in them went beyond legitimate differences of opinion or perspective and crossed the line into libel and defamation. This we will never let stand," he added.
One of the derogatory articles named five Hindu American organizations including the HAF, that allegedly received COVID-19 relief funding through loans and grants. Citing data from the Small Business Administration (SBA).
The article's writer, Naik wrote that these outfits, which allegedly have “ties to Hindu supremacist and religious groups” have together received $833,000 in federal funding. Also named were Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA), Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of USA, Infinity Foundation and Sewa International.
The Al Jazeera articles made false claims that the HAF serves as a US “front” for several India-based organizations. Furthermore, HAF is accused of lobbying on behalf of the Government of India.
In a firm response, HAF’s leadership has strongly rejected insinuations of any malicious propaganda against India, associations with foreign organizations or Islamophobia, and expressed the zeal to fight these accusations in U.S courts. A
In addition, tax filings prove that HAF has only sent funds overseas to independent organizations supporting Hindus fleeing religious persecution in Pakistan.
Image courtesy: Hindu American Foundation
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