MORRIS COUNTY — Senator Joe Pennacchio blasted the Teaneck Democratic Municipal Committee for its adoption of a resolution condemning and targeting major Hindu American organizations that it considers to be hate groups tied to “Hindu nationalism” in India.
“It’s concerning that a Democratic political organization whose purpose is to elect its members to government office and to influence public policy would pass a resolution effectively condemning the entire Hindu religion,” said Pennacchio (R-26). “It’s extremely dangerous to target large segments of any ethnic group or religion for harassment using government resources. It was wrong when the entire Muslim community was profiled after 9/11 for the actions of a small number of extremists, and it’s just as wrong for all of our Hindu American neighbors to be treated this way today.”
The TDMC’s resolution lists five major tax-exempt Hindu organizations that it suggests are hate groups with “direct or indirect ties” to a Hindu nationalist organization in India.
Suggesting these Hindu groups share an ideology with “Nazism and European fascism,” the resolution by Teaneck Democrats urges Senator Bob Menendez, Senator Cory Booker, Congressman Josh Gottheimer, and Governor Phil Murphy to request that the FBI and CIA to investigate “foreign hate groups” and their tax-exempt status, among other things.
“Regardless of the religion we choose to practice, we are all Americans,” added Pennacchio. “We shouldn’t try to weaponize our institutions of government to attack other people or groups whose religious views or affiliations differ from our own.”
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