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{{db-attack|blanked=yes}}<!--- After reading this article it seems that all of the anger is directed towards Muslims and to a lesser extent Christians, not taking into account, the percecution of hindus by other groups.signed by [[User:julia Patrick]] --->
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2013}}
{{Over-quotation|date=August 2010}}{{Violence against Hindus}}{{Hinduism small}}
'''Persecution of Hindus''' refers to the [[religious persecution]] inflicted upon [[Hindu]]s. Hindus have been historically persecuted during Islamic rule of the [[Indian subcontinent]] and during the [[Goa Inquisition]]. In modern times, Hindus in the Muslim-majority regions of [[Kashmir]], Pakistan and [[Bangladesh]] have also suffered persecution.
{{Status of religious freedom}}

==During Islamic rule of the Indian sub-continent==
[[File:Sun temple martand indogreek.jpg|thumb|right|x270px| text|Photograph of the Surya Temple, The most impressive and grandest ruins in Kashmir, at Marttand-Hardy Cole's Archaeological Survey of India Report 'Illustrations of Ancient Buildings in Kashmir.' (1869)]]
The [[Muslim conquest of the Indian subcontinent]] led to widespread carnage because Muslims regarded the Hindus as [[kafir|infidels]] and therefore slaughtered and converted millions of Hindus. [[Will Durant]] argued in his 1935 book ''The Story of Civilization: Our Oriental Heritage'' (page 459):

{{cquote|The Mohammedan Conquest of India is probably the bloodiest story in history. It is a discouraging tale, for its evident moral is that civilization is a precarious thing, whose delicate complex of order and liberty, culture and peace may at any time be overthrown by barbarians invading from without or multiplying within. The Hindus had allowed their strength to be wasted in internal division and war; they had adopted religions like Buddhism and Jainism, which unnerved them for the tasks of life; they had failed to organize their forces for the protection of their frontiers and their capitals, their wealth and their freedom, from the hordes of Scythians, Huns, Afghans and Turks hovering about India's boundaries and waiting for national weakness to let them in. For four hundred years (600–1000 A.D.) India invited conquest; and at last it came.}}

There is no official estimate of the total death toll of Hindus at the hands of Muslims.

As Braudel put it:
"''The levies it had to pay were so crushing that one catastrophic harvest was enough to unleash famines and epidemics capable of killing a million people at a time. Appalling poverty was the constant counterpart of the conquerors' opulence.''"

The backward castes of Hinduism suffered worst. Monarchs (belonging to backward castes) such as Khusrau Bhangi Khan, Hemchandra and Garha-Katanga were knocked off their throne and executed. Backward caste saints like Namadeva<ref>P. 88 ''The Rosary and the Lamp'' By Baburao Patel</ref> were arrested, while women like [[Kanhopatra]] were forced to commit suicide. Ghisadis have an “Urdu” title.<ref>''The Castes and Tribes of H.E.H. the Nizam's Dominions''</ref>

Prof. [[K.S. Lal]], suggests a calculation in his book ''[[Growth of Muslim Population in Medieval India]]'' which estimates that between the years 1000 AD and 1500 AD the population of Hindus decreased by 80 million.
Even those Hindus who converted to Islam were not immune from persecution, which was illustrated by the [[Caste system among South Asian Muslims|Muslim Caste System]] in India as established by Ziauddin al-Barani in the ''Fatawa-i Jahandari''.<ref>[http://stateless.freehosting.net/Caste%20in%20Indian%20Muslim%20Society.htm Caste in Muslim Society] by Yoginder Sikand</ref> where they were regarded as "Ajlaf" caste and subjected to severe discrimination by the "Ashraf" castes.<ref name="one">
{{cite book
| last = Aggarwal
| first = Patrap
| authorlink = Patrap C. Aggarwal
| title = Caste and Social Stratification Among Muslims in India
| publisher = Manohar
|year=1978
}}
</ref>

===By Arabs===
[[Muslim conquest of the Indian subcontinent]] began during the early 8th century, when the [[Umayyad]] governor of [[Damascus]], [[Al-Hajjaj bin Yousef|Hajjaj]] responded to a [[casus belli]] provided by the kidnapping of Muslim women and treasures by pirates off the coast of [[Debal]],<ref>Mirza Kalichbeg Fredunbeg: The Chachnamah, An Ancient History of Sind, Giving the Hindu period down to the Arab Conquest. [http://persian.packhum.org/persian/pf?file=12701030&ct=18]</ref> by mobilizing an expedition of 6,000 cavalry under [[Muhammad bin-Qasim]] in 712 CE. Records from the campaign recorded in the [[Chach Nama]] record temple demolitions, and mass executions of resisting [[Sindh]]i forces and the enslavement of their dependents. This action was particularly extensive in [[Debal]], of which Qasim is reported to have been under orders to make an example of while freeing both the captured women and the prisoners of a previous failed expedition. Bin Qasim then enlisted the support of the local [[Jat people|Jat]], [[Meds]] and [[Bhutto]] tribes and began the process of subduing and conquering the countryside. The capture of towns was also usually accomplished by means of a treaty with a party from among his "enemy", who were then extended special privileges and material rewards.<ref>Wink, Andre, "Al-Hind, the Making of the Indo-Islamic World", Brill Academic Publishers, 1 August 2002, ISBN 0-391-04173-8 pg. 204</ref> However, his superior Hajjaj reportedly objected to his method by saying that it would make him look weak and advocated a more hardline military strategy, saying "Henceforth grant pardon to no one of the enemy and spare none of them, or else all will consider you a weak-minded man."<ref>
{{cite book
| last = Trifkovic
| first = Serge
| authorlink = Serge Trifkovic
| title = The Sword of the Prophet: History, Theology, Impact on the World
| publisher = Regina Orthodox Press
|date=11 September 2002
| isbn = 1-928653-11-1
}}
</ref>

In a subsequent communication, Hajjaj reiterated that all able-bodied men were to be killed, and that their underage sons and daughters were to be imprisoned and retained as hostages. Qasim obeyed, and on his arrival at the town of Brahminabad massacred between 6,000 and 16,000 of the defending forces.<ref>{{cite news | first =Serge | last =Trifkovic | title =Islam’s Other Victims: India
| url =http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Printable.asp?ID=4649 | publisher =[[FrontPageMagazine.com]] | accessdate =2006-08-26}}
</ref>
The historian, Upendra Thakur records the persecution of Hindus and Buddhists:

{{cquote|When Muhammad Kasim invaded Sind in 711 AD, Buddhism had no resistance to offer to their fire and steel. The rosary could not be a match for the sword and the terms Love and Peace had no meaning to them. They carried fire and sword wherever they went and obliterated all that came their way. Muhammad triumphantly marched into the country, conquering Debal, Sehwan, Nerun, Brahmanadabad, Alor and Multan one after the other in quick succession, and in less than a year and a half, the far-flung Hindu kingdom was crushed, the great civilization fell back and Sind entered the darkest period of its history. There was a fearful outbreak of religious bigotry in several places and temples were wantonly desecrated. At Debal, the Nairun and Aror temples were demolished and converted into mosques.[Resistors] were put to death and women made captives. The Jizya was exacted with special care.[Hindus] were required to feed Muslim travellers for three days and three nights.<ref name="Thakkur">Sindhi Culture by U.T. Thakkur, Univ. of Bombay Publications, 1959</ref>}}

Other historians and archaeologists such as J E Lohuizen-de Leeuw, take the following stance regarding events preceding the sack of Debal:
{{cquote|In fact, we have clear evidence that the Arabs were very tolerant towards both Buddhists and Hindus during the rest of the campaign and throughout the time they ruled Sind...Of course that does not mean that no monuments were ever destroyed, for war always means a certain amount of damage to buildings but it does prove that there was no wanton and systematic destruction of each and every religious center of the Buddhists and Hindus in Sind.<ref>J E Lohuizen-de Leeuw, ''South Asian Archaeology 1975'', pg 152–153, January 1, 1979, Brill Academic Publishers, ISBN 90-04-05996-2</ref>}}

===Mahmud of Ghazni===
[[File:Somnath temple ruins (1869).jpg|thumb|right|x250px| Somanatha Temple Prabhas Patan, Gujarat, from the Archaeological Survey of India, taken by D.H. Sykes in c.1869]]
[[Mahmud of Ghazni]], [[Sultan]] of the [[Ghaznavids|Ghaznavid empire]], invaded the Indian subcontinent during the early 11th century. His campaigns across the [[gangetic plains]] are often cited for their [[iconoclasm|iconoclast]] plundering and destruction of temples such as those at [[Mathura, Uttar Pradesh|Mathura]] and he looked upon their destruction as an act of ''"[[jihad]]"''.<ref>{{cite book
|last= Saunders
|first= Kenneth
|authorlink = Kenneth James Saunders
|title= A Pageant of India
|publisher = H. Milford, Oxford University Press pg. 162
}}</ref>

Pradyumna Prasad Karan further describes Mahmud's invasion as one in which he put "thousands of Hindus to the sword" and made a pastime of "raising pyramids of the skulls of the Hindus".<ref>{{cite book |last=Karan |first= Pradyumna |authorlink= Pradyumna Prasad Karan |title= The Non-Western World:Environment, Development and Human Rights| publisher= Routledge pg. 344 |isbn=0-415-94714-6}}</ref><ref>
{{cite book
|last = Barron
|first = Milton
|authorlink = Milton Lee Baron
|title = Minorities in a Changing World
|publisher = Knopf p54
|year = 1967
|isbn = 0-394-30029-7
}}
</ref> Holt ''et al.'' hold an opposing view, that he was "no mere robber or bloody thirsty tyrant" . Mahmud shed no blood "except in the exigencies of war",<ref name="Lewis">P. M. (Peter Malcolm) Holt, Bernard Lewis, The Cambridge History of Islam, Cambridge University Press, 21 April 1977, ISBN 0-521-29137-2 pg 3–4.</ref> and was tolerant in dealings with his own Hindu subjects, some of whom rose to high posts in his administration, such as his Hindu General Tilak<ref name="Lewis"/>

Mahmud of Ghazni sacked the second [[Somnath|Somnath Temple]] in 1026, and looted it of gems and precious stones and the famous [[Shiva]] [[lingam]] of the temple was destroyed .<ref>
{{cite book
|last = Kakar
|first = Sudhir
|authorlink = Sudhir kakar
|title = The Colors of Violence: Cultural Identities, Religion, and Conflict
|publisher = University of Chicago Press P 50
|isbn = 0-226-42284-4
}}
</ref> Later the temple was demolished by Mughal Emperor [[Aurangzeb]] in 1706.

===Muhammad Ghori===
[[Muhammad Ghori]] committed genocide against Hindus at [[Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh|Kol]] (modern [[Aligarh]]), Kalinjar and Varanasi, according to Hasan Nizami's Taj-ul-Maasir, 20,000 Hindu prisoners were slaughtered and their heads offered to crows.<ref>
{{cite book |last= Rashid |first= A.|title=Society and Culture in Medieval India, 1206–1556 A.D. (Excerpt from Taj-ul-Maasir)|publisher= Firma K. L. Mukhopadhyay |year= 1969}}</ref>

===Timur the Lame's campaign against India===

{{Main|Timur}}

'''Tīmūr bin Tara<u>gh</u>ay Barlas''' ([[Chagatai language|Chagatai Turkic]]: '''تیمور''' – ''Tēmōr'', "''iron''") (1336 – February 1405), known in the West as '''Tamerlane''', was a 14th-century [[warlord]] of [[Turco-Mongol]] descent,<ref name="EI">B.F. Manz, ''"Tīmūr Lang"'', in [[Encyclopaedia of Islam]], Online Edition, 2006</ref><ref>The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, "Timur", 6th ed., Columbia University Press: ''"...&nbsp;Timur (timoor') or Tamerlane (tăm'urlān), c.1336–1405, <u>Mongol conqueror</u>, b. Kesh, near Samarkand. ..."'', ([http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0848795.html LINK])</ref><ref>[http://secure.britannica.com/ebc/article-9277364 "Timur"], in [[Encyclopaedia Britannica]]: ''"...&nbsp;[Timur] was a member of the Turkic Barlas clan of Mongols..."''</ref><ref>[http://secure.britannica.com/ebc/article-9273044 "Baber"], in [[Encyclopaedia Britannica]]: ''"...&nbsp;Baber first tried to recover Samarkand, the former capital of the empire founded by his Mongol ancestor Timur Lenk ..."''</ref> conqueror of much of western and central Asia, and founder of the [[Timurid dynasty|Timurid Empire and Timurid dynasty]] (1370–1405) in Central Asia, which survived in some form until 1857. Perhaps, he is more commonly known by his pejorative Persian name '''Timur-e Lang''' ({{lang-fa|تیمور لنگ}}) which translates to '''Timur the Lame''', as he was lame after sustaining an injury to the leg in battle.

Informed about civil war in India, [[Timur]] began a trek starting in 1397 to invade the territory of the reigning [[Sultan]] Nasir-u Din Mehmud of the [[Tughlaq]] Dynasty in the north Indian city of [[Delhi]].

Timur crossed the [[Indus River]] at [[Attock]] on 24 September. The capture of towns and villages was often followed by the massacre of their inhabitants and the raping of their women, as well as pillaging to support his massive army. Timur wrote many times in his memoirs of his specific disdain for the 'idolatrous' [[Hindu]]s, although he also waged war against Muslim Indians during his campaign.

Timur's invasion did not go unopposed and he did meet some resistance during his march to Delhi, most notably by the [[Sarv Khap]] coalition in northern India, and the Governor of [[Meerut]]. Although impressed and momentarily stalled by the valour of Ilyaas [[Awan Pakistan|Awan]], Timur was able to continue his relentless approach to Delhi, arriving in 1398 to combat the armies of Sultan Mehmud, already weakened by an internal battle for ascension within the royal family.

The Sultan's army was easily defeated on 17 December 1398. Timur entered Delhi and the city was sacked, destroyed, and left in ruins. Before the battle for Delhi, Timur executed more than 100,000 captives.

Timur himself recorded the invasions in his memoirs, collectively known as ''Tuzk-i-Timuri''.<ref name="1. Online copy">[http://persian.packhum.org/persian/index.jsp?serv=pf&file=80201010&ct=0 Volume III: To the Year A.D. 1398, Chapter: XVIII. Malfúzát-i Tímúrí, or Túzak-i Tímúrí: The Autobiography of Tímúr. Page: 389 (please press next and read all pages in the online copy)] ([http://persian.packhum.org/persian/pf?file=80201013&ct=97 1. Online copy], [http://www.infinityfoundation.com/mandala/h_es/h_es_malfuzat_frameset.htm 2. Online copy]) from: Elliot, Sir H. M., Edited by Dowson, John. [[The History of India, as Told by Its Own Historians. The Muhammadan Period]]; published by London Trubner Company 1867–1877. (Online Copy: [http://persian.packhum.org/persian/index.jsp?serv=pf&file=80201010&ct=0 The History of India, as Told by Its Own Historians. The Muhammadan Period; by Sir H. M. Elliot; Edited by John Dowson; London Trubner Company 1867–1877] – This online Copy has been posted by: [http://persian.packhum.org/persian/index.jsp The Packard Humanities Institute; Persian Texts in Translation; Also find other historical books: Author List and Title List])</ref>

According to Malfuzat-i-Timuri,<ref name="1. Online copy"/> Timur targeted Hindus. In his own words, "Excepting the quarter of the saiyids, the 'ulama and the other Musalmans [sic], the whole city was sacked". In his descriptions of the Loni massacre he wrote, "..Next day I gave orders that the Musalman prisoners should be separated and saved."

During the ransacking of Delhi, almost all inhabitants not killed were captured and enslaved.

'''Timur''' left Delhi in approximately January 1399. In April he had returned to his own capital beyond the [[Oxus]] (Amu Darya). Immense quantities of spoils were taken from India. According to [[Ruy Gonzáles de Clavijo]], 90 captured elephants were employed merely to carry precious stones looted from his conquest, so as to erect a mosque at Samarkand — what historians today believe is the enormous [[Bibi-Khanym Mosque]]. Ironically, the mosque was constructed too quickly and suffered greatly from disrepair within a few decades of its construction.

====Qutb-ud-din Aibak====
Historical records compiled by Muslim historian Maulana Hakim Saiyid Abdul Hai attest to the iconoclasm of [[Qutb-ud-din Aybak]]. The first mosque built in Delhi, the "[[Qutb complex#Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque|Quwwat al-Islam]]" was built after the demolition of the Hindu temple built previously by Prithvi Raj and certain parts of the temple were left outside the mosque proper.<ref name="Hai">Maulana Hakim Saiyid Abdul Hai "Hindustan Islami Ahad Mein" (Hindustan under Islamic rule), Eng Trans by Maulana Abdul Hasan Nadwi</ref> This pattern of iconoclasm was common during his reign, although an argument goes that such iconoclasm was motivated more by politics than by religion.<ref>[http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00routes/1200_1299/index_1200_1299.html Index_1200-1299],''Columbia.edu''</ref>

====Iltutmish====
Another ruler of the sultanate, Shams-ud-din [[Iltutmish]], conquered and subjugated the Hindu pilgrimage site [[Varanasi]] in the 11th century and he continued the destruction of Hindu temples and idols that had begun during the first attack in 1194.<ref>
{{cite book |last= Elliot|first= Henry Miers |title= The History of India: as told by its own historians; the Muhammadan period (Excerpt from Jamiu'l-Hikayat) |publisher= University of Michigan |year= 1953}}</ref>

====Firuz Shah Tughlaq====
[[Firuz Shah Tughluq]] was the third ruler of the Tughlaq dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate. The "Tarikh-i-Firuz Shah" is a historical record written during his reign that attests to the systematic persecution of Hindus under his rule.<ref name="Banerjee">
{{cite book
| last = Banerjee
| first = Jamini
| authorlink = Jamini Mohan Bannerjee
| title = History of Firuz Shah Tughluq
| publisher = Munshiram Manoharlal
|year=1967}}
</ref> In particular, it records atrocities committed against Hindu Brahmin priests who refused to convert to Islam:

{{cquote| An order was accordingly given to the Brahman and was brought before Sultan. The true faith was declared to the Brahman and the right course pointed out. but he refused to accept it. A pile was risen on which the Kaffir with his hands and legs tied was thrown into and the wooden tablet on the top. The pile was lit at two places his head and his feet. The fire first reached him in the feet and drew from him a cry and then fire completely enveloped him. Behold Sultan for his strict adherence to law and rectitude.<ref name="Banerjee"/>}}

Under his rule, Hindus who were forced to pay the mandatory [[Jizya]] tax were recorded as infidels, their communities monitored and, if they violated Imperial ordinances and built temples, they were destroyed. In particular, an incident in the village of Gohana in [[Haryana]] was recorded in the "Insha-i-Mahry" (another historical record written by Amud Din Abdullah bin Mahru) where Hindus had erected a deity and were arrested, brought to the palace and executed en-masse.<ref name="Banerjee"/>

In 1230, the Hindu King of [[Odisha]] Anangabhima III consolidated his rule and proclaimed that an attack on Odisha constituted an attack on the king's god. A sign of Anangabhima's determination to protect Hindu culture is the fact that he named is new capital in Cuttack “Abhinava Varanasi.” His anxieties about further Muslim advances in Odisha proved to be well founded.

===In the Mughal empire===

The [[Mughal Empire]] was marked by periods of tolerance of non-Muslims, such as Hindus and Sikhs, as well as periods of violent oppression and persecution of those people.<ref name="Aurangzeb">[http://www.the-south-asian.com/Dec2000/Aurangzeb.htm The South Asian] ''Aurangzeb profile''</ref> The reign of [[Aurangzeb]] was particularly brutal. No aspect of Aurangzeb's reign is more cited – or more controversial – than the numerous desecrations and even the destruction of Hindu temples.<ref name="Aurangzeb"/> Aurangzeb banned Diwali, placed a ''jizya'' (tax) on non-Muslims and martyred the ninth Sikh guru [[Tegh Bahadur]].<ref name="Aurangzeb"/>

During his reign, tens of thousands of temples were desecrated: their facades and interiors were defaced and their murtis (divine images) looted.<ref name="Aurangzeb"/> In many cases, temples were destroyed entirely; in numerous instances mosques were built on their foundations, sometimes using the same stones. Among the temples Aurangzeb destroyed were two that are most sacred to Hindus, in [[Varanasi]] and [[Mathura, Uttar Pradesh|Mathura]].<ref name="Mughaltemples">[http://www.hindunet.org/hindu_history/modern/temple_aurangzeb.html Rajiv Varma] ''Destruction of Hindu Temples by Aurangzeb</ref> In both cases, he had large mosques built on the sites.<ref name="Aurangzeb"/>

The [[Kesava Deo]] temple in [[Mathura, Uttar Pradesh|Mathura]], marked the place that Hindus believe was the birth place of Shri [[Krishna]].<ref name="Mughaltemples"/> In 1661 Aurangzeb ordered the demolition of the temple, and constructed the Katra Masjid mosque. Traces of the ancient Hindu temple can be seen from the back of the mosque. Aurangzeb also destroyed what was the most famous temple in [[Varanasi]]- the [[Vishwanath Temple]].<ref name="Mughaltemples"/> The temple had changed its location over the years, but in 1585 [[Akbar]] had authorized its location at Gyan Vapi. Aurangzeb ordered its demolition in 1669 and constructed a mosque on the site, whose minarets stand 71 metres above the Ganges. Traces of the old temple can be seen behind the mosque. Centuries later, emotional debate about these wanton acts of cultural desecration continues. [[Aurangzeb]] also destroyed the [[Somnath]] temple in 1706.<ref name="Mughaltemples"/>

[[Hindu nationalists]] claim that Mughals destroyed the [[Ram Janmabhoomi|Ram Mandir]] in [[Ayodhya]], located at the birthplace of [[Rama]], and built the [[Babri Masjid]] on the holy site, which has since been a source of tension between the Hindu and Muslim communities. Following an archaeological survey the Allahabad High Court ruled in 2010 that the {{convert|2400|sqft|m2}} disputed land in Ayodhya, on which the Babri Masjid stood before it was demolished on 6 December 1992, will be divided into three parts: the site of the Ramlala idol to Lord Ram, Sunni Wakf Board gets one third and Nirmohi Akhara gets Sita Rasoi and Ram Chabutara.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.timesnow.tv/Disputed-Ayodhya-site-to-be-divided-into-3-parts/articleshow/4355050.cms |title=Disputed Ayodhya site to be divided into 3 parts- TIMESNOW.tv – Latest Breaking News, Big News Stories, News Videos |publisher=Timesnow.Tv |date= |accessdate=2012-03-06}}</ref>

Writer Fernand Braudel wrote in ''A History of
Civilizations'' (Penguin 1988/1963, p.&nbsp;232–236), Islamic rule in India as a "''colonial
experiment''" was "''extremely violent''", and "''the Muslims could not rule the
country except by systematic terror. Cruelty was the norm – burnings,
summary executions, crucifixions or impalements, inventive tortures. Hindu
temples were destroyed to make way for mosques. On occasion there were
forced conversions. If ever there were an uprising, it was instantly and
savagely repressed: houses were burned, the countryside was laid waste,
men were slaughtered and women were taken as slaves.''"

===Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan===
{{See also|Mysore invasion of Kerala}}
[[File:Ruinskrishnatemplevijayanagara1868.jpg|right|thumb|x324px|alt=Ruins of a temple, entirely made of stone. The four-storied temple ruins rise behind two free-standing pillared structures, one of which hides the entrance to the temple. Sculptures of human forms are seen on the upper stories. Grass grows on various exposed surfaces of the ruins. A pathway, paved with stone slabs, fringes the visible perimeter of the temple.| text|An 1868 photograph of the ruins of the [[Vijayanagara Empire]] at [[Hampi]], now a [[UNESCO]] World Heritage Site<ref>"The austere, grandiose site of Hampi was the last capital of the last great Hindu Kingdom of Vijayanagar. Its fabulously rich princes built [[Dravidian architecture|Dravidian]] temples and palaces which won the admiration of travellers between the 14th and 16th centuries. Conquered by the [[Deccan]] Muslim confederacy in 1565, the city was pillaged over a period of six months before being abandoned." From the brief description [http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/241 UNESCO World Heritage List].</ref>]]
<ref name=Bowring>{{cite book
|last=Bowring
|first=Lewin
|year=1893
|title=Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan and the struggle with the Musalman powers of the south
|url=http://greatest-battles.webs.com/MysoreWars/MysoreWars.htm
|edition=1974
|publisher=ADABIYAT-I DELLI
|location=Delhi
|pages=
|chapter=
|isbn=81-206-1299-X
}}</ref> There are some historians<ref name=rpersecutor1>{{cite book
| last = Valath
| first = V. v. k.
| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| editor =
| others =
| title = Keralathile Sthacharithrangal – Thrissur Jilla
| origdate =
| origyear =
| origmonth =
| url =
| accessdate = 2006
| edition =
| date =
| year = 1981
| month =
| publisher = Kerala Sahithya Academy
| location =
| language = Malayalam
| id =
| doi =
| pages = 74–79
| chapter =
| chapterurl =
| quote =
}}</ref> who claim that Tippu Sultan was a religious persecutor of Hindus.

C. K. Kareem also notes that Tippu Sultan issued an edict for the destruction of Hindu temples in [[Kerala]].<ref name="rpersecutor5">{{cite book
| last = Kareem
| first = C.K
| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| editor =
| others =
| title = Kerala Under Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan P187
| origdate =
| origyear = 1973
| origmonth =
| url =
| accessdate =
| edition =
| date =
| year = 1973
| month =
| publisher = Kerala History Association : distributors, Paico Pub. House
| location =
| language =
| id =
| doi =
| chapter =
| chapterurl =
| quote =
| page = 322
}}</ref>

Historian Hayavadana C. Rao wrote about Tippu in his encyclopaedic work on the History of Mysore. He asserted that Tippu's "religious fanaticism and the excesses committed in the name of religion, both in Mysore and in the provinces, stand condemned for all time. His bigotry, indeed, was so great that it precluded all ideas of toleration". He further asserts that the acts of Tippu that were constructive towards Hindus were largely political and ostentatious rather than an indication of genuine tolerance.<ref name="Rao">{{cite book
| last = Rao
| first = Hayavadana C.
| authorlink = Hayavadana C. Rao
| title = History of Mysore 1399–1799: Incorporating the latest Epigraphical, Literary and Historical Researches Vol. 3 pgs 1047–53
| publisher = Bangalore Government Press
}}</ref>

Hindu groups revile [[Tipu Sultan]] as a bigot who massacred Hindus.<ref>Brittlebank ''Tipu Sultan'' pp1-3; Phillip B. Wagoner “Tipu Sultan's Search for Legitimacy: Islam and Kingship in a Hindu Domain by Kate Brittlebank (Review)” ''The Journal of Asian Studies'' Vol. 58, No. 2 (May 1999) pp. 541–543</ref> He was known to carry out forced conversions of Hindus and Christians.<ref>Brittlebank ''Tipu Sultan's Search For legitimacy'' p107</ref>{{Request quotation|date=February 2008}}. According to Ramchandra Rao "Punganuri" Tipu converted 500 Hindus in [[Kodagu]] (Coorg).<ref>Mohibbul Hasan ''The History of Tipu Sultan'' (Delhi) 1971 pp362-3</ref>

Though after the first Anglo-Mysore War his attitude change and to get support of his Hindu subjects in the face of the British power.

He corresponded with the Sringeri Shankaracharya – expressing grief and indignation at a raid by Maratha horsemen, which killed many and plundered the monastery of its valuable possessions<ref>Mohibbul Hasan The History of Tipu Sultan (Delhi) 1971 pp 359</ref>
He patronized the Melkote temple, for which he issued a Kannada decree that the Shrivaishnava invocatory verses there should be recited in the traditional form. The temple at Melkote still has gold and silver vessels with inscriptions indicating that they were presented by the Sultan. Tipu Sultan also presented four silver cups to the Lakshmikanta Temple at Kalale.<ref>B.A. Saletare "Tipu Sultan as Defender of the Hindu Dharma" in Habib (Ed.) Confronting Colonialism, pp. 116–8</ref> There appears to be some evidence that he presented the Ranganatha temple at Srirangapatana with seven silver cups and a silver camphor burner.<ref>Ali, Sheikh. "Persian script of Tipu Sultan on the gateway to Krishnaraja Sagar Dam (KRS)". Biography of Tipu Sultan. Cal-Info. http://www.tipusultan.org/script1.htm. Retrieved 2006-10-17</ref>

Some historians have argued that these acts happened after the Third Mysore war, where he had to negotiate on the terms of surrender. They claim that these acts were motivated by a political desire to get the support of his Hindu subjects.

===In Kashmir===
The Hindu minority in [[Kashmir]] has also been historically persecuted by Muslim rulers.<ref name="Firishta 1829- 1981 Reprint">{{cite book |last=Firishta |first= Muhammad Qãsim Hindû Shãh |authorlink= |coauthors=John Briggs (translator) |title= Tãrîkh-i-Firishta (History of the Rise of the Mahomedan Power in India)|year=1829– 1981 Reprint |location=New Delhi }}</ref> While Hindus and Muslims lived in harmony for certain periods of time, several Muslim rulers of Kashmir were intolerant of other religions. Sultãn [[Sikandar Butshikan]] of Kashmir (AD 1389–1413) is often considered the worst of these. Historians have recorded many of his atrocities. The ''Tarikh-i-Firishta'' records that Sikandar persecuted the Hindus and issued orders proscribing the residency of any other than Muslims in Kashmir. He also ordered the breaking of all "golden and silver images". The Tarikh-i-Firishta further states: "Many of the Brahmins, rather than abandon their religion or their country, poisoned themselves; some emigrated from their native homes, while a few escaped the evil of banishment by becoming Mahomedans. After the emigration of the Bramins, Sikundur ordered all the temples in Kashmeer to be thrown down. Having broken all the images in Kashmeer, (Sikandar) acquired the title of ‘Destroyer of Idols’".<ref name="Firishta 1829- 1981 Reprint"/> The [[2000 Amarnath pilgrimage massacre]] was another incident where 30 Hindu pilgrims were killed en route to [[Amarnath Temple|Amarnath]]
temple.<ref>[http://www.kashmirsentinel.com/augsept2000/2000.9.3.html KASHMIR SENTINEL August 16 – September 15, 2000-Terrorists massacre Amarnath yatris<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Even now these continue by majority Muslim community there on indigenous Hindus.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/Under-renewed-threats-pandits-may-flee-the-Valley/H1-Article1-477268.aspx |title=Under renewed threats, pandits may flee the Valley |publisher=Hindustan Times |date=2009-11-17 |accessdate=2012-08-13}}</ref>

==During European rule of the Indian subcontinent==

=== Goa ===
{{Main|Goa Inquisition}}
[[File:StFrancisXavier.jpg|thumb|400px|right|[[St. Francis Xavier]] who requested the Inquisition in 1545]]
The [[Goa Inquisition]], was established in 1560 by Portuguese missionaries. Aimed primarily at [[New Christian]]s who were thought to have returned to their original Hindu or Islamic faith, it is recorded to have executed 57 [[apostasy|apostates]] until its abolition in 1774.<ref name="Salomon, H. P 2001 pp. 345-7">Salomon, H. P. and Sassoon, I. S. D., in Saraiva, Antonio Jose. ''The Marrano Factory. The Portuguese Inquisition and Its New Christians, 1536–1765'' (Brill, 2001), pp. 345–7.</ref> The [[British East India Company]] engaged in a covert and well-financed campaign of [[Evangelism|evangelical]] conversions in the 19th century. While officially discouraging conversions, officers of the Company routinely converted Sepoys to Christianity, often by force. This was one of the factors that led to the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857|First Indian War of Independence]].<ref>
{{cite book
| last = Stokes
| first = Eric
| authorlink = Eric Stokes
| title = The First Century of British Colonial Rule in India: Social Revolution or Social Stagnation?" ''Past and Present''
|year=1973
}}
</ref>

==During the era of Nizam state of Hyderabad==
Hindus were severely repressed under the autocratic dictatorial rule of the [[Nizam]] nawabs in [[Hyderabad state]]. The Hindu majority were denied fundamental rights by the Nizams of Hyderabad state. Hindus were called gaddaar (traitor) by Muslims in the Nizam state of Hyderabad.<ref>[http://www.telangana.org/Papers/article11.asp Telangana Liberation – A People's Struggle]</ref> Many Hindus were murdered, looted and thrown to jail. Construction of temples were declared illegal and [[Hindu scriptures]] like [[Bhagavad Gita]], [[Ramayana]] were banned.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.co.in/books?id=Uc9lLS2dqbUC&pg=PA71 |title=Veer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (An Important Revolutionary Of India) – Bhawan Singh Rana – Google Books |publisher=Books.google.co.in |date= |accessdate=2012-08-13}}</ref>

Hindus were treated as second class citizens within Hyderabad state and they were severely discriminated against, despite the vast majority of the population being Hindu. The 1941 census estimated the population of Hyderabad to be 16.34 million. Over 85% of the populace were Hindus with Muslims accounting for about 12%. Hyderabad was also a multi-lingual state consisting of peoples speaking Telugu (48.2%), Marathi (26.4%), Kannada (12.3%) and Urdu (10.3%). Nonetheless, the number of Hindus in government positions was disproportionately small. Of 1765 officers, 1268 were Muslims, 421 were Hindus, and 121 were "Others" (presumably British Christians, Parsis and Sikhs). Of the officials drawing pay between Rs.600–1200 pm, 59 were Muslims, 38 were "Others", and a mere 5 were Hindus. The Nizam and his nobles, who were mostly Muslims, owned 40% of the total land in the kingdom.<ref>[http://books.google.co.in/books?id=K94wQ9MF2JsC Encyclopedia of the Stateless Nations: S-Z] By James Minahan</ref>

In 1947; Nizam, the ruler of Hyderabad refused to merge his kingdom with India. For the independence of the [[Hyderabad State|Islamic state of Hyderabad]] and to resist Indian integration, [[All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen]], the then dominating political party persecuted Hindus and their 1,50,000 cadre strong [[Insurgent|militant]] wing named [[Razakars (Hyderabad)|Razakars]] killed a number of Hindus under the leadership of [[Qasim Rizwi]].<ref name="time magazine">[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,799076-2,00.html HYDERABAD: The Holdout] TIME Magazine, Monday, 30 Aug 1948</ref>

==Contemporary persecution==

While the vast majority of Hindus live in Hindu-majority areas of India, Hindus in other parts of South Asia and in the diaspora have sometimes faced persecution.

===Partition of India===
Before the partition, there was large scale violence against Hindus during the first Partition of Bengal. Thousands of Hindus were killed in Muslim dominated portions of Bengal (which geographically also included the present day states of Bihar and Orrisa). Close after that arrived Khilafat movement spear headed by Ali brothers in which Hindus of central India and the province of Bombay(which included the present day Gujrat and Maharashtra in it) were killed, maimed and massacred. The Moplaah rebellion in Kerala got encouragement due to Gandhi ji's support to Khilafat movement. Again, the victims in the so called rebellion against the British government's inaction against Mustafa Kamal in far away Turkey were Hindu women, men and children who were raped, killed and orphaned in thousands.

Hindus, like Muslims, Sikhs, and members of other religious groups, experienced severe dislocation and violence during the massive [[Population transfer#South Asia|population exchanges]] associated with the [[partition of India]], as members of various communities moved to what they hoped was the relative safety of an area where they would be a religious majority. Hindus were among the between 200,000 and a million who died during the rioting and other violence associated with the partition.<ref>[http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/warstat3.htm#India Death toll in the partition]</ref>

====Republic of India====
Although the Indian government allows for freedom of religion, its constitution provides special rights to minorities and their places of worship. More over, minority institutes also receive government patronage in form of Exemption from 2005 Amendment to the Article 15, 95% grant-in-aid, College Scholarship to pursue higher education.<ref>{{cite web | title =Structural asymmetric secularism | url =http://acorn.nationalinterest.in/2007/12/26/structural-asymmetric-secularism/}}</ref><ref name="theindiapost.com">{{cite web | title =National Minority Status For Jain Community in India | url =http://www.theindiapost.com/2008/07/11/national-minority-status-for-jain-community-in-india/}}</ref><ref name="Supreme Court's judgement">{{cite web | title =Supreme Court's judgement | url =http://prayatna.typepad.com/education/2005/08/summary_of_the_.html}}</ref><ref name="University Today">{{cite web | title =University Today | url =http://www.universitytoday.net/1mar06.pdf}}</ref> Some states like [[Tamil Nadu]], offer reservation in education for Muslims and Christians. The Indian government offers huge subsidies for Muslims towards Haj Pilgrimage while other religious people including Hindus have no such schemes to help them.

The ruling political parties often subscribe to ideologies which are inherently hostile or prejudiced towards Hindu religion. Thus, Hindu institutes live under constant threat of ideologically motivated government take-over and subsequent destruction. For instance the Dravidian parties who have been ruling Tamil Nadu for over four decades believe in discredited racial theory and are openly anti-Hindu. Ruling ideology has a history of publicly issuing threats and has carried out those threats in many instances.<ref>{{cite news | title =Places of worship attacked | url =http://www.hindu.com/2006/12/09/stories/2006120906950400.htm | location=Chennai, India | work=The Hindu | date=9 December 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title =A Statue story from south | url =http://realitycheck.wordpress.com/2006/12/09/another-statue-story/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title =Anti-Hindu rhetoric nothing new for atheist DMK chief | url =http://www.indianexpress.com/news/antihindu-rhetoric-nothing-new-for-atheist-dmk-chief/219610/0}}</ref> At some junctures, interpretation of the laws has also disadvantaged Hindus<ref>[http://www.newstodaynet.com/col.php?section=20&catid=33 National Song, National Anthem and more – II] News Today – 19 January 2010</ref>

Recently the issue of [[Love Jihad]] created huge controversy in [[Southern India]], although similar incidents were ignored in [[Northern India]].

=====Jammu and Kashmir=====
Kashmiri Muslim militants have engaged in attacks on Hindu pilgrims in both Kashmir and neighboring [[Jammu]]. Kashmiri Muslim militants have attacked Non-Muslim in the region, as well as moderate Muslim suspected of siding with India. [[Kashmiri Pandit]], who have been residents of [[Kashmir]] for centuries, have been ethnically cleansed from Kashmir by Muslim militants.<ref>{{cite news | title =Atrocities on Kashmiri Non-Muslim by Pakistan-Trained Terrorists | url =http://www.kashmiri-pandit.org/atrocities/index.html | accessdate =2006-08-26 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/kpsgill/2003/chapter9.htm |title=The Kashmiri Pandits: An Ethnic Cleansing the World Forgot |accessdate=2006-08-26 |last=Gill |first=Kanwar Pal Singh|authorlink=Kanwar Pal Singh Gill |publisher=South Asian Terrorism Portal}}</ref> In particular, the [[Wandhama Massacre]] in 1998 was an incident in which 24 Kashmiri Hindus were gunned down by Muslims disguised as Indian soldiers. Many Kashmiri Non-Muslims have been killed and thousands of children orphaned over the course of the conflict in Kashmir.

=====Northeast India=====
{{Main|l1=Christian Terrorism in India|Christian_terrorism#India}}
In Northeastern India, especially in [[Nagaland]], Hindus are not able to celebrate [[Durga Puja]] and other religious festivals due to harassment and killing by Christian terrorist groups. In Tripura,<ref>[http://tripurasociety.org/religion.htm Tripura Society's Website, Independent, and Authentic Information & Views About Tripura<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> the [[NLFT]](National Liberation Front of Tripura), has targeted Swamis and temples for attacks. They are known to have forcefully converted Hindus to Christianity.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/states/tripura/documents/papers/nlft_const.htm|title=Constitution of National Liberation Front Of Tripura|publisher=South Asia Terrorism Portal}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/states/tripura/terrorist_outfits/nlft.htm|title=National Liberation Front of Tripura, India|publisher=South Asia Terrorism Portal}}</ref> The [[Baptist]] Church of Tripura is alleged to have supplied the NLFT with arms and financial support and to have encouraged the murder of Hindus, particularly infants.<ref>{{cite news | first =Subhir | last =Bhaumik |title = 'Church backing Tripura rebels'| url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/717775.stm | publisher =BBC News |accessdate =2006-08-26 | date=18 April 2000}}</ref>

In [[Assam]], members of the primarily Christian [[Hmar people|Hmar]] ethnic group have placed bloodstained crosses in temples and forced Hindus to convert at gunpoint.<ref>[http://www.assamtimes.org/social/3112.html Christianity threat looms over Bhuvan Pahar] Assam Times – 23 June 2009</ref>

The [[2012 Assam violence]] arose in the state of [[Assam]] between indigenous [[Bodo people|Bodos]] and [[Bengali language|Bengali]] Muslims due to the high influx of Muslims illegally from [[Bangladesh]].<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/29/world/asia/after-tensions-in-indias-east-turn-deadly-claims-officials-turned-a-blind-eye.html?_r=1 | title=As Tensions in India Turn Deadly, Some Say Officials Ignored Warning Signs |publisher=''The New York Times'' | date= July 28, 2012 }}</ref> Muslim illegal immigrants in [[Assam]] are regularly attacked by indigenous people.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-18993905 | title = What lies behind Assam violence? | publisher= BBC News |first=Subir |last=Bhaumik |date=26 July 2012|accessdate=27 July 2012}}</ref> As of 8 August 2012, 77 people had died and over 400,000 people were taking shelter in 270 relief camps, after being displaced from almost 400 villages. Eleven people have been reported missing. In retaliation, Muslims mounted attacks on students and workers from the north-east India across various places including [[Mumbai]], [[Pune]], [[Andhra Pradesh]] and [[Uttar Pradesh]]. Muslim mobs resorted to large scale violence against media persons, bystanders, shops, vehicles and tourists in several cities including Lucknow, Kanpur and Allahabad.<ref>http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article3786202.ece</ref> 30,000 people from North East India fled Bangalore after attacks on them by Muslims.<ref>http://news.oneindia.in/2012/08/18/northeast-people-assaulted-threatened-in-bangalore-kar-1055896.html</ref>


=====Punjab=====
{{Main|Punjab insurgency}}
The period of insurgency in Punjab around [[Operation Blue Star]] saw clashes of the Sikh militants with the police, as well as with the Hindu-Nirankari groups resulting in many Hindu deaths. In 1987, 32 Hindus were pulled out of a bus and shot, near Lalru in Punjab by Sikh militants.<ref>''Gunment Slaughter 38 on Bus in India in Bloodiest Attack of Sikh Campaign''. 7 July 1987. Page A03. [[The Philadelphia Inquirer]].</ref>

=====Kerala=====
Kerala is a Hindu majority state but with the most slim majority in India of 56%.<ref>Census of India, 2001 – Kerala Non-Hindus (56%); see [[Hinduism in India#Census of 2001|States of India by percentage of Hindus]]</ref> Kerala has witnessed many [[Malabar Rebellion|riots and rebellions against Hindus]] by Muslims throughout it history and more so in independent India; notably the [[Marad Massacre]]. Many Muslims extremist organizations allegedly supported [[Love Jihad]] where Muslim boys targeted Hindu and Christian young girls, to convert them to Islam by feigning love.<ref>[http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/love-jihad-oommen-chandy-islam-kerala-muslim-marriage/1/215942.html Over 2500 women converted to Islam in Kerala since 2006, says Oommen Chandy ]</ref>
{{See also|Hinduism in India}}

====Bangladesh====
{{main|Hinduism in Bangladesh|2013 Bangladesh Anti-Hindu violence}}
The HAF report documents the long history of [[anti-Hindu]] atrocities<ref>{{cite web|url=http://noakhalinoakhali.webs.com/ |title=Home – Noakhali Noakhali |publisher=Noakhalinoakhali.webs.com |date= |accessdate=2012-08-13}}</ref> in Bangladesh,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bhbcuc-usa.org/ |title=Bhbcuc-Usa Home |publisher=Bhbcuc-usa.org |date=2010-08-01 |accessdate=2012-08-13}}</ref> a topic that many Indians and Indian governments over the years have preferred not to acknowledge. Such atrocities, including targeted attacks<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hrcbm.org/ |title=Bangladesh – Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities |publisher=HRCBM |date= |accessdate=2012-08-13}}</ref> against temples, open theft of Hindu property, and rape of young Hindu women and enticements to [[proselytization|convert]] to Islam, have increased sharply in recent years after the [[Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami|Jamat-e-Islami]] joined the coalition government led by the [[Bangladesh National Party]].<ref>{{Cite book | last = Mujtaba| first = Syed Ali| title = Soundings on South Asia| publisher = [[Sterling Publishing|Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd]]| year = 2005| page = 100| url = http://books.google.com/?id=AFDVcx-7BCMC&pg=PA100| isbn = 978-1-932705-40-9}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book | last = Gupta| first = Jyoti Bhushan Das| title = Science, technology, imperialism, and war – History of science, philosophy, and culture in Indian civilization. Volume XV. Science, technology, and philosophy ; pt. 1| publisher = [[Pearson PLC|Pearson Education India]]| year = 2007| page = 733| url = http://books.google.com/?id=EJuM4FylchwC&pg=PA733| isbn = 978-81-317-0851-4}}</ref>

Bangladesh has had a troublesome history of persecution of Hindus as well. A US-based human rights organisation, Refugees International, has claimed that religious minorities, especially Hindus, still face discrimination in Bangladesh.<ref>{{cite news| title =Discrimination against Bangladeshi Hindus: Refugees International | url =http://www.rediff.com/news/2003/aug/09bang.htm | publisher =[[Rediff.com]] |date=9 August 2003<!- – 13:19 IST -->| accessdate =2006-08-26}}</ref>
The government of Bangladesh, a nationalist party openly calls for ‘Talibanisation’ of the state.<ref name="Karlekar">
Bangladesh: The Next Afghanistan? by Hiranmay Karlekar. New Delhi: Sage, January 2006. ISBN 0-7619-3401-4</ref><ref>{{cite web| title = The 'Talibanization' of Bangladesh | url = http://www.thenation.com/doc/20020527/baldwin20020517 | publisher = The Nation |date=18 May 2002<!- – 13:19 IST -->| accessdate =2007-01-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title = The Talibanization of Bangladesh| url = http://www.metransparent.com/texts/abdullah_elmadani/abdullah_elmadani_talibanization_of_bengladesh_english.htm | publisher = metransparent.com |date=9 August 2003<!- – 13:19 IST -->| accessdate =2007-01-28 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20061120214554/http://www.metransparent.com/texts/abdullah_elmadani/abdullah_elmadani_talibanization_of_bengladesh_english.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 2006-11-20}}</ref> However, the prospect of actually "Talibanizing" the state is regarded as a remote possibility, since Bangladeshi Islamic society is generally more progressive than the extremist [[Taliban]] of Afghanistan. Political scholars conclude that while the Islamization of Bangladesh is real, the country is not on the brink of being Talibanized.<ref name="Karlekar"/> In 1971 at the time of the liberation of Bangladesh from East Pakistan, the Hindu population accounted for 15% of the total population. Thirty years on, it is now estimated at just 10.5%.<ref>[http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3452.htm U.S. Department of State: 2006 Census Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs]</ref> The ‘Vested Property Act’ previously named the ‘Enemy Property Act’ has seen up to 40% of Hindu land snatched away forcibly. Since this government has come into power, of all the rape crimes registered in Bangladesh, 98% have been registered by Hindu women. Hindu temples in Bangladesh have also been vandalised.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hinduhumanrights.org/temples/temples.html|title=Hindu temples|accessdate=2006-08-26 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20060701021512/http://www.hinduhumanrights.org/temples/temples.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 2006-07-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal
| author = Frank Pallone
| title = Persecution Of Hindus In Bangladesh (article mirrored from the US Library of Congress)
|date=2004-05-17
| url = http://www.hvk.org/articles/0504/110.html
| accessdate = 2006-08-26
}}</ref> The United States Congressional Caucus on India has condemned these atrocities.<ref>{{cite news| title =Congressman Pallone Condemns Persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh Following Meetings with Hindu American Foundation | url =http://www.hinduamericanfoundation.org/media_press_release_pallone-bangladesh.htm | publisher = [[Hindu American Foundation]]|date=2004-05-20| accessdate =2006-08-26 }} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>

Bangladeshi feminist [[Taslima Nasrin]]'s 1993 novel ''[[Lajja]]'' deals with the anti-Hindu riots and anti-secular sentiment in Bangladesh in the wake of the destruction of the [[Babri Masjid]] in India. The book was banned in Bangladesh, and helped draw international attention to the situation of the Bangladeshi Hindu minority.

In October 2006, the [[United States Commission on International Religious Freedom]] published a report titled 'Policy Focus on Bangladesh', which said that since its last election, 'Bangladesh has experienced growing violence by religious extremists, intensifying concerns expressed by the countries religious minorities'. The report further stated that Hindus are particularly vulnerable in a period of rising violence and extremism, whether motivated by religious, political or criminal factors, or some combination. The report noted that Hindus had multiple disadvantages against them in Bangladesh, such as perceptions of [[dual loyalty]] with respect to India and religious beliefs that are not tolerated by the politically dominant [[Islamic Fundamentalists]] of the [[Bangladesh Nationalist Party]]. Violence against Hindus has taken place "in order to encourage them to flee in order to seize their property".The previous reports of the [[Hindu American Foundation]] were acknowledged and confirmed by this non-partisan report.<ref name="USCIRF">[http://www.rediff.com/news/2006/nov/02aziz.htm Bangladesh slammed for persecution of Hindus],''Rediff.com''</ref>

On 2 November 2006, USCIRF criticized Bangladesh for its continuing persecution of minority Hindus. It also urged the [[George Walker Bush|Bush]] administration to get [[Dhaka]] to ensure protection of religious freedom and minority rights before Bangladesh's next national elections in January 2007.<ref name="USCIRF"/>

On 6 February 2010, Sonargaon temple in Narayanganj district of Bangladesh was destroyed by Islamic fanatics. Five people were seriously injured during the attack.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/Hindu-temple-attacked-idols-destroyed-in-Bdesh-Official-/articleshow/5543091.cms | work=The Times Of India | title=Hindu temple attacked, idols destroyed in B'desh: Official | date=6 February 2010}}</ref> Temples were also attacked and destroyed in 2011<ref>[http://www.weeklyblitz.net/1755/fresh-atrocities-on-hindu-families-in-bangladesh Fresh atrocities on Hindu families in Bangladesh] Weekly Blitz – 4 September 2011</ref>

In 2013, the [[International Crimes Tribunal (Bangladesh)|International Crimes Tribunal]] indicted several Jamaat members for [[war crimes]] against Hindus during the [[1971 Bangladesh atrocities]]. In retaliation, [[2013 Bangladesh Anti-Hindu violence|violence against Hindu minorities]] in Bangladesh was instigated by the [[Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami]] . The violence included the looting of Hindu properties and businesses, the burning of Hindu homes, rape of Hindu women and [[desecration]] and destruction of [[Hindu temple]]s.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bangladesh: Wave of violent attacks against Hindu minority|url=http://amnesty.org/en/for-media/press-releases/bangladesh-wave-violent-attacks-against-hindu-minority-2013-03-06#.UTeKDSrYyD8.twitter|work=Press releases|publisher=Amnesty International|accessdate=8 March 2013}}</ref>

====Pakistan====
{{Main|Hinduism in Pakistan}}
There were 8.8 million Hindus in Pakistan in 1951.{{cn|date=August 2013}} Now,{{when|date=August 2013}} there are are less than 1 million Hindus left.{{cn|date=August 2013}} In 1951, Hindus constituted 22% of the Pakistani population (including present-day Bangladesh);<ref>Census of Pakistan, 1951</ref><ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=7zNuAAAAMAAJ Hindu Masjids] by Prafull Goradia, 2002 "In 1951, Muslims were 77 percent and Hindus were 22 percent."</ref> Today,{{when|date=August 2013}} the Hindu minority amounts to 1.7 percent of Pakistan's population.<ref>[http://www.statpak.gov.pk/depts/pco/statistics/area_pop/area_pop.html Census of Pakistan]{{dl|date=August 2013}}</ref>

====Pakistan Studies curriculum issues====
{{Main|Pakistan Studies curriculum}}
According to the [[Sustainable Development Policy Institute]] report 'Associated with the insistence on the Ideology of Pakistan has been an essential component of hate against India and the Hindus. For the upholders of the Ideology of Pakistan, the existence of Pakistan is defined only in relation to Hindus, and hence the Hindus have to be painted as negatively as possible'<ref name=sdpi>Nayyar, A.H. and Salim, A. (eds.)(2003). [http://www.sdpi.org/whats_new/reporton/State%20of%20Curr&TextBooks.pdf The subtle Subversion: A report on Curricula and Textbooks in Pakistan]. Report of the project ''A Civil Society Initiative in Curricula and Textbooks Reform''. Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Islamabad.</ref> A 2005 report by the National Commission for Justice and Peace a non profit organization in Pakistan, found that Pakistan Studies textbooks in Pakistan have been used to articulate the hatred that Pakistani policy-makers have attempted to inculcate towards the Hindus. 'Vituperative animosities legitimise military and autocratic rule, nurturing a siege mentality. Pakistan Studies textbooks are an active site to represent India as a hostile neighbour' the report stated. 'The story of Pakistan’s past is intentionally written to be distinct from, and often in direct contrast with, interpretations of history found in India. From the government-issued textbooks, students are taught that Hindus are backward and superstitious.' Further the report stated 'Textbooks reflect intentional obfuscation. Today’s students, citizens of Pakistan and its future leaders are the victims of these partial truths'.<ref>[http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006%5C04%5C25%5Cstory_25-4-2006_pg7_26 Hate mongering worries minorities], [[Daily Times (Pakistan)]], 2006-04-25</ref><ref name="LA Times Report: In Pakistan's Public Schools, Jihad Still Part of Lesson Plan - The Muslim nation's public school texts still promote hatred and jihad, reformers say.">[http://articles.latimes.com/2005/aug/18/world/fg-schools18 In Pakistan's Public Schools, Jihad Still Part of Lesson Plan – The Muslim nation's public school texts still promote hatred and jihad, reformers say.] By Paul Watson, Times Staff Writer; 18 August 2005; [[Los Angeles Times]]. 4 Page article online Retrieved on 2 January 2010</ref><ref name="Outlook India Magazine Report: Primers Of Hate - History or biology, Pakistani students get anti-India lessons in all their textbooks; 'Hindu, Enemy Of Islam' - These are extracts from government-sponsored textbooks approved by the National Curriculum Wing of the Federal Ministry of Education.">[http://www.outlookindia.com/fullprint.asp?choice=2&fodname=20051010&fname=Pakistan+%28F%29&sid=1 Primers Of Hate – History or biology, Pakistani students get anti-India lessons in all their textbooks; 'Hindu, Enemy Of Islam' – These are extracts from government-sponsored textbooks approved by the National Curriculum Wing of the Federal Ministry of Education.] By AMIR MIR; 10 Oct 2005; [[Outlook (magazine)|Outlook India Magazine]] Retrieved on 2 January 2010</ref><ref>[http://www.rediff.com/news/2003/jul/16guest.htm Noor's cure: A contrast in views]; by Arindam Banerji; 16 July 2003; [[Rediff.com|Rediff India Abroad]] Retrieved on 2 January 2010</ref>

An editorial in Pakistan's oldest newspaper [[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]] commenting on a report in [[The Guardian]] on Pakistani Textbooks noted 'By propagating concepts such as [[jihad]], the inferiority of non-Muslims, India’s ingrained enmity with Pakistan, etc., the textbook board publications used by all government schools promote a mindset that is bigoted and obscurantist. Since there are more children studying in these schools than in [[madrassahs]] the damage done is greater. '<ref>[http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/11-curriculum-of-hatred--03 Curriculum of hatred], [[Dawn (newspaper)]], 2009-05-20</ref><ref name="Dawn: ‘School texts spreading more extremism than seminaries’">[http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/school-texts-spreading-more-extremism-than-seminaries-959 ‘School texts spreading more extremism than seminaries’] By Our Special Correspondent; Tuesday, 19 May 2009; [[Dawn Newspaper]]. Retrieved 1 January 2010</ref> According to the historian Professor [[Mubarak Ali]], textbook reform in Pakistan began with the introduction of Pakistan Studies and Islamic studies by [[Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto]] in 1971 into the national curriculum as a compulsory subject. Former military dictator Gen [[Zia-ul-Haq]] under a general drive towards Islamization, started the process of historical revisionism in earnest and exploited this initiative. 'The Pakistani establishment taught their children right from the beginning that this state was built on the basis of religion – that's why they don't have tolerance for other religions and want to wipe-out all of them.'<ref name="Dawn: ‘School texts spreading more extremism than seminaries’"/><ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2009/may/18/pakistan-textbooks-religious-extremism The threat of Pakistan's revisionist texts], [[The Guardian]], 2009-05-18</ref>

According to [[Pervez Hoodbhoy]], a physics professor at [[Quaid-i-Azam University]] in [[Islamabad]], the "Islamizing" of Pakistan's schools began in 1976 when an act of parliament required all government and private schools (except those teaching the British O-levels from Grade 9) to follow a curriculum that includes learning outcomes for the federally approved Grade 5 social studies class such as: 'Acknowledge and identify forces that may be working against Pakistan,' 'Make speeches on Jihad,' 'Collect pictures of policemen, soldiers, and national guards,' and 'India's evil designs against Pakistan.'<ref>[http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0121/p04s03-wosc.html?page=1 Pakistan: Do school texts fuel bias?], [[Christian Science Monitor]], 2009-01-21</ref>

=====1971 Bangladesh atrocities=====
{{Main|1971 Bangladesh atrocities|Operation Searchlight}}
During the [[1971 Bangladesh atrocities]] there were widespread killings and acts of [[ethnic cleansing]] of civilians in [[Bangladesh]] (then [[East Pakistan]], a province of Pakistan), and widespread violations of human rights were carried out by the Pakistan Army, which was supported by political and religious militias during the Bangladesh Liberation War. In Bangladesh, the atrocities are identified as a genocide. Many of the victims were [[Hindus]], and the total death toll was in the millions.<ref name="bangladeshobserver">Editorial ''[http://www.bangladeshobserveronline.com/new/2005/12/30/editorial.htm The Jamaat Talks Back]''in ''The Bangladesh Observer'' 30 December 2005</ref><ref name="Dr.N.Rabbee">Dr. N. Rabbee ''[http://www.thedailystar.net/magazine/2005/12/03/remembrance.htm Remembering a Martyr]'' Star weekend Magazine, The [[Daily Star (Bangladesh)]] 16 December 2005</ref> TIME magazine reported that ''"The Hindus, who account for three-fourths of the refugees and a majority of the dead, have borne the brunt of the Muslim military's hatred."''<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,878408,00.html Pakistan: The Ravaging of Golden Bengal],''Time Magazine''</ref>

=====Forced conversions=====
Hindu women have also been known to be victims of kidnapping and forced conversion to Islam.<ref>{{cite news | first =Syed | last =Anwar| title =State of minorities | url =http://www.dawn.com/2006/06/18/op.htm | accessdate = 2006-08-18}}</ref> Around 20 to 25 Hindu girls are abducted every month and converted to Islam forcibly.<ref>[http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=231616 25 Hindu girls abducted every month, claims HRCP official] The News, Tuesday, 30 March 2010</ref> [[Krishan Bheel]], a Hindu member of the [[National Assembly of Pakistan]], came into the news recently for manhandling Qari Gul Rehman after being taunted with a religious insult.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/print.asp?page=2005%5C12%5C09%5Cstory_9-12-2005_pg1_7 |title= Opp MNAs fight in PM’s presence|accessdate= 2006-08-23}}</ref>

On 18 October 2005, Sanno Amra and Champa, a Hindu couple residing in the Punjab Colony, Karachi, Sindh returned home to find that their three teenage daughters had disappeared. After inquiries to the local police, the couple discovered that their daughters had been taken to a local madrassah, had been converted to Islam, and were denied unsupervised contact with their parents.<ref name="usdep">[http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/71443.htm US Department of State International Religious Freedom Report 2006]</ref>

A [[Pakistan Muslim League]] politician has states that abduction of Hindus and Sikhs is a business in Pakistan, along with conversions of Hindus to Islam.<ref>[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Abduction-of-Hindus-Sikhs-have-become-a-business-in-Pak-PML-MP/articleshow/9763515.cms Abduction of Hindus, Sikhs have become a business in Pak: PML MP] [[Times of India]] – 28 August 2011</ref> Forced conversion, rape, and forced marriages of Hindu women in Pakistan (akin to [[Love Jihad]]) have recently become very controversial in Pakistan.<ref>[http://zeenews.india.com/news/world/pak-hindus-not-treated-equally-under-law_770873.html ‘Pak Hindus not treated equally under law’] Zee News – 20 April 2012</ref><ref>[http://www.dailypioneer.com/columnists/item/51269-hounded-in-pakistan.html?tmpl=component&print=1 Hounded in Pakistan] Daily Pioneer – 20 March 2012</ref>

=====Temple Destruction=====
Several Hindu temples have been destroyed in Pakistan. One of the several notable incident was the destruction of the [[Ramna Kali Mandir]] in former [[East Pakistan]]. The temple was bulldozed by the Pakistan Army on 27 March 1971.The [[Dhakeshwari Temple]] was severely damaged during the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]], and over half of the temple's buildings were destroyed. The temple was descreted by the [[Pakistan]] Army and used as an ammunitions storage area. Several of the temple custodians were tortured and killed by the Army, including the Head Priest.

In 2006, the last Hindu temple in [[Lahore]] was destroyed to pave the way for construction of a multi-storied commercial building. When reporters from Pakistan-based newspaper [[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]] tried to cover the incident, they were accosted by the henchmen of the property developer, who denied that a Hindu temple existed at the site.<ref>[http://www.dawn.com/2006/05/28/nat23.htm Another temple is no more],''Dawn''</ref>
{{See also|Decline of Hinduism in Pakistan}}

=====2005 unrest in Nowshera=====
On 29 June 2005, following the arrest of an illiterate Christian janitor on allegations of allegedly burning Qur'an pages, a mob of between 300 and 500 Muslims destroyed a Hindu temple and houses belonging to Christian and Hindu families in [[Nowshera, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa|Nowshera]]. Under the terms of a deal negotiated between Islamic religious leaders and the Hindu/Christian communities, Pakistani police later released all previously arrested perpetrators without charge.<ref name="usdep"/>

=====Discrimination due to the rise of Taliban=====
Although Hindus were frequently soft targets in Pakistan,<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6367773.stm | work=BBC News | title=Hindus feel the heat in Pakistan | date=2 March 2007 | accessdate=22 May 2010 | first=Riaz | last=Sohail}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.outlookindia.com/item.aspx?655723 |title=Pakistani Hindu Youth Murdered in Sindh |publisher=news.outlookindia.com |date= |accessdate=2012-08-13}}</ref> the rise of [[Taliban]] forces in the political arena has particularly unsettled the already fragile situation for the minority community. Increasing persecution, ostracism from locals and lack of a social support system is forcing more and more Hindus to flee to India.<ref>http://www.indiatvnews.com/Common.aspx?path=19/209</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://specials.rediff.com/news/2009/mar/18sld1-hindu-families-face-the-heat.htm |title=rediff.com: No more safe at home, Pak Hindus flee |publisher=Specials.rediff.com |date=2009-03-16 |accessdate=2012-08-13}}</ref> This has been observed in the past whenever the conflicts between the two nations escalated<ref>{{cite news| url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/614386142.cms | work=The Times Of India | title=Hindus fleeing persecution in Pak | date=5 September 2001}}</ref> but this has been a notable trend in view of the fact the recent developments are due to internal factors almost exclusively. The Taliban have used false methods of luring, as well as the cooperation of zealots within local authorities to perpetrate [[religious cleansing]].<ref>[http://www.tehelka.com/story_main43.asp?filename=Ne171009goodbye_to.asp Goodbye To The Hindu Ghettos] Tehelka – 17 October 2009 issue</ref>

===In other countries===

====Afghanistan====
{{See also|Hinduism in Afghanistan}}
During the [[Taliban]] regime, [[Sumptuary law]]s were passed in 2001 which forced Hindus to wear [[yellow badge]]s in public to identify themselves as such. This has been similar to [[Adolf Hitler]]'s treatment of Jews in [[Nazi Germany]] during [[World War II]].<ref>[http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPrint.asp?Page=%5CForeignBureaus%5Carchive%5C200106%5CFor20010615b.html US Lawmakers Condemn Taliban Treatment Of Hindus], T.C. Malhotra</ref><ref>[http://www.rediff.com/us/2001/jun/14us1.htm US lawmakers say: We are Hindus Aziz Haniffa]</ref> Hindu women were forced to dress according to Islamic [[hijab]], ostensibly a measure to "protect" them from harassment. This was part of the Taliban's plan to segregate "un-Islamic" and "idolatrous" communities from Islamic ones.<ref>[http://archives.cnn.com/2001/fyi/news/05/22/taleban.hindus/index.html Taliban to mark Afghan Hindus],''CNN''</ref> In addition, Hindus were forced to mark their places of residence identifying them as Hindu homes.

The decree was condemned by the Indian and United States governments as a violation of religious freedom.<ref>[http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/may/21tale1.htm India deplores Taleban decree against Hindus]</ref> Widespread protests against the Taliban regime broke out in [[Bhopal]], India. In the United States, chairman of the [[Anti-Defamation League]] [[Abraham Foxman]] compared the decree to the practices of [[Nazi Germany]], where Jews were required to wear labels identifying them as such.<ref>[http://english.people.com.cn/english/200105/23/eng20010523_70812.html Taliban: Hindus Must Wear Identity Labels],''People's Daily''</ref> The comparison was also drawn by California Democrat and [[holocaust]] survivor Tom Lantos, and New York Democrat and author of the bipartisan 'Sense of the Congress' non-binding resolution against the anti-Hindu decree Eliot L Engel.<ref name="US lawmakers say: We are Hindus">[http://www.rediff.com/us/2001/jun/14us1.htm US lawmakers say: We are Hindus],''Rediff.com''</ref> In the United States, congressmen and several lawmakers.<ref name="US lawmakers say: We are Hindus"/> wore yellow badges on the floor of the Senate during the debate as a demonstration of their solidarity with the Hindu minority in Afghanistan.<ref name="cns">[http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPrint.asp?Page=%5CForeignBureaus%5Carchive%5C200106%5CFor20010615b.html US Lawmakers Condemn Taliban Treatment Of Hindus],''CNSnews.com''</ref>

Indian analyst Rahul Banerjee said that this was not the first time that Hindus have been singled out for state-sponsored oppression in Afghanistan. Violence against Hindus has caused a rapid depletion in the Hindu population over the years.<ref name="cns"/> Since the 1990s many Afghan Hindus have fled the country, seeking asylum in countries such as Germany.<ref>[http://www.pluralism.org/resources/slideshow/hindgerm/index.php Immigrant Hinduism in Germany: Tamils from Sri Lanka and Their Temples],''pluralism.org''</ref>

====Bhutan====
In 1991–92, [[Bhutan]] expelled roughly 100,000 ethnic Nepalis ([[Lhotshampa]]), most of whom have been living in seven refugee camps in eastern [[Nepal]] ever since. The Lhotshampa are generally classified as [[Hindu]]s.<ref>[http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/topic,463af2212,469f2cba2,469f386a1e,0.html UNHCR | Refworld | Chronology for Lhotshampas in Bhutan]</ref> In March 2008, this population began a multiyear resettlement to third countries including the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands and Australia.<ref>[http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=77513 NEPAL-BHUTAN: Bhutan questions identity of 107,000 refugees in Nepal]</ref> At present, the United States is working towards resettling more than 60,000 of these [[refugee]]s in the US as third country settlement programme.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7082586.stm | title = Bhutan refugees are 'intimidated' | author = Bhaumik, Subir | date = 7 November 2007 | work = BBC News | accessdate = 2008-04-25}}</ref>

===Germany===
In [[Bonn]], a [[Hindu]] student was beaten up and had his tongue slashed by suspected Islamists after refusing to convert to Islam<ref>[http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/Europe/Suspected-Islamists-slash-Indian-student-s-tongue/Article1-981467.aspx Suspected Islamists slash Indian student's tongue with knife in Bonn] Hindustan Times – 27 December 2012</ref>

=== Italy ===
In Italy, Hinduism was previously not recognized as a religion, and during [[Durga Puja]] celebrations, the Italian police shut down a previously approved Durga Puja celebration in Rome. The affront was seen by some as a statement against alleged [[persecution of Christians]] in India.<ref>[http://dailypioneer.com/205141/In-Rome-Durga-is-not-welcome.html In Rome, Durga is not welcome] Daily Pioneer – 27 September 2009</ref>

However, on 14 December 2012, Hinduism, along with Buddhism, was recognized and given freedom as a religion not conflicting with the Italian Law, as per Article 8 of the Italian constitution. The move has been hailed as a new milestone for religious freedom and equality between religions.<ref>[http://www.articolotre.com/2012/12/litalia-non-e-piu-soltanto-cristiana/124973 Italy is no longer (only) Christian] Articolo Tre – 14 December 2012</ref>

=== Kazakhstan ===
In 2005 and 2006 Kazakh officials persistently and repeatedly tried to close down the Hare Krishna farming community near Almaty.

On 20 November 2006, three buses full of riot police, two ambulances, two empty lorries, and executors of the Karasai district arrived at the community in sub-zero weather and evicted the Hare Krishna followers from thirteen homes, which the police proceeded to demolish.

The [[Forum 18|Forum 18 News Service]] reported, "Riot police who took part in the destruction threw the personal belongings of the Hare Krishna devotees into the snow, and many devotees were left without clothes. Power for lighting and heating systems had been cut off before the demolition began. Furniture and larger household belongings were loaded onto trucks. Officials said these possessions would be destroyed. Two men who tried to prevent the bailiffs from entering a house to destroy it were seized by 15 police officers who twisted their hands and took them away to the police car."<ref>{{cite news |title = KAZAKHSTAN: State bulldozes Hare Krishna commune, bids to chair OSCE | url =http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=873 | publisher = Forum 18 News Service | accessdate =2007-01-24 }}</ref>

The Hare Krishna community had been promised that no action would be taken before the report of a state commission – supposedly set up to resolve the dispute – was made public. On the day the demolition began, the commission's chairman, Amanbek Mukhashev, told Forum 18, "I know nothing about the demolition of the Hare Krishna homes – I'm on holiday." He added, "As soon as I return to work at the beginning of December we will officially announce the results of the Commission's investigation." Other officials also refused to comment.

The United States urged Kazakhstan's authorities to end what it called an "aggressive" campaign against the country's tiny Hare Krishna community.<ref>{{cite news |title = U.S. Embassy urges Kazakh authorities to end harassment of Hare Krishna | url =http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/12/07/asia/AS_GEN_Kazakhstan_Hare_Krishna.php | publisher = International Herald Tribune | accessdate =2007-01-24 }}</ref>

=== Malaysia ===
{{See also|Hinduism in Malaysia|Cow head protests}}

Approximately nine percent of the population of [[Malaysia]] are [[Tamil people|Tamil]] Indians, of whom nearly 90 percent are practicing [[Hindus]]. Indian settlers came to Malaysia from [[Tamil Nadu]] in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Between April to May 2006, several Hindu temples were demolished by city hall authorities in the country, accompanied by violence against Hindus.<ref>[http://www.malaysiakini.com/opinionsfeatures/52600 Temple row – a dab of sensibility please],''malaysiakini.com''</ref> On 21 April 2006, the Malaimel Sri Selva Kaliamman Temple in Kuala Lumpur was reduced to rubble after the city hall sent in bulldozers.<ref>[http://www.gatago.com/talk/politics/mideast/12428067.html Muslims Destroy Century-Old Hindu Temple,''gatago.com'']</ref>

The president of the Consumers Association of Subang and Shah Alam in Selangor State has been helping to organise efforts to stop the local authorities in the Muslim dominated city of Shah Alam from demolishing a 107-year-old Hindu temple. The growing Islamization in Malaysia is a cause for concern to many Malaysians who follow minority religions such as Hinduism.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4965580.stm Pressure on multi-faith Malaysia],''BBC''</ref> On 11 May 2006, armed city hall officers from [[Kuala Lumpur]] forcefully demolished part of a 60-year-old suburban temple that serves more than 1,000 Hindus. The "Hindu Rights Action Force", a coalition of several NGO's, have protested these demolitions by lodging complaints with the Malaysian Prime Minister.<ref name="Finexp"/> Many Hindu advocacy groups have protested what they allege is a systematic plan of temple cleansing in Malaysia. The official reason given by the Malaysian government has been that the temples were built "illegally". However, several of the temples are centuries old.<ref name="Finexp">[http://www.financialexpress.com/latest_full_story.php?content_id=128069 Hindu group protests 'temple cleansing' in Malaysia],''Financial Express''</ref>
According to a lawyer for the Hindu Rights Action Task Force, a [[Hindu temple]] is demolished in [[Malaysia]] once every three weeks.<ref>[http://in.reuters.com/article/topNews/idINIndia-30397720071108?pageNumber=1 Malaysia ethnic Indians in uphill fight on religion] Reuters India – 8 November 2007</ref>

Malaysian Muslims have also grown more [[anti-Hindu]] over the years. In response to the proposed construction of a temple in [[Selangor]], Muslims chopped off the head of a cow to protest, with leaders saying there would be blood if a temple was constructed in [[Shah Alam]].<ref>[http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h5RWG2ScAdC9V7eo-B6-KfUL3QjgD9ABV6U81 Malaysia Muslims protest proposed Hindu temple] Associated Press – 28 August 2009</ref>

Laws in the country, especially those concerning religious identity, are generally slanted towards compulsion into converting to Islam<ref>[http://dailypioneer.com/230183/Malaysia-strips-Hindus-of-rights.html Malaysia strips Hindus of rights] Daily Pioneer – 19 January 2010</ref>

=== Saudi Arabia ===

On 24 March 2005, [[Government of Saudi Arabia|Saudi authorities]] destroyed religious items found in a raid on a makeshift Hindu shrine found in an apartment in [[Riyadh]].<ref>Marshall, Paul. ''[http://web.archive.org/web/20060522223359/http://www.freedomhouse.org/religion/news/bn2005/bn-2005-00-16.htm Saudi Arabia's Religious Police Crack Down]''. Freedom House</ref>

=== Fiji ===
{{See also|Hinduism in Fiji|Church involvement in Fiji coups}}
[[Image:Fiji-0050.JPG|thumb|left|The burnt out remains of Govinda's Restaurant in Suva: over 100 shops and businesses were ransacked in Suva's central business district on 19 May]]
Hindus in Fiji constitute approximately 38% of the population. During the late 1990s there were several riots against [[Hindus]] by radical elements in Fiji. In the Spring of 2000, the democratically elected Fijian government led by Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry was held hostage by a guerilla group, headed by George Speight. They were demanding a segregated state exclusively for the native Fijians, thereby legally abolishing any rights the Hindu inhabitants have now. The majority of Fijian land is reserved for the ethnically Fijian community.<ref name="Jonathan Fraenkel, Stewart Firth 2007 306">{{cite book | title = From Election to Coup in Fiji: The 2006 Campaign and Its Aftermath | author = Jonathan Fraenkel, Stewart Firth | publisher = ANU E Press | year = 2007 | page = 306}}</ref> Since the practitioners of Hindu faith are predominantly Indians, racist attacks by the extremist Fijian Nationalists too often culminated into violence against the institutions of Hinduism. According to official reports, attacks on Hindu institutions increased by 14% compared to 2004. Hindus and Hinduism, being labeled the “outside others,” especially in the aftermath of the May 2000 coup, have been victimized by Fijian fundamentalist and nationalists who wish to create a theocratic Christian state in Fiji. This intolerance of Hindus has found expression in anti-Hindu speeches and destruction of temples, the two most common forms of immediate and direct violence against Hindus. Between 2001 and April 2005, one hundred cases of temple attacks have been registered with the police. The alarming increase of temple destruction has spread fear and intimidation among the Hindu minorities and has hastened immigration to neighboring Australia and New Zealand. organized religious institutions, such as the Methodist Church of Fiji, have repeatedly called for the creation of a theocratic Christian State and have propagated anti-Hindu sentiment.<ref name="Hindusin">[http://www.hafsite.org/pdf/hhr_2005_html/fijiislands.htm Hindus in South Asia and the Diaspora: A Survey of Human Rights 2005<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

The [[Methodist church]] of Fiji repeatedly calls for the creation of a Christian State since a coup d'etat in 1987<ref name="Jonathan Fraenkel, Stewart Firth 2007 306"/><ref>[http://taylorandfrancis.metapress.com/link.asp?id=u250pmj6q7047403 Roots of Land and Church: the Christian State Debate in Fiji – International journal for the Study of the Christian Church<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> and has stated that those who are not Christian should be "tolerated as long as they obey Christian law".

The Methodist Church of Fiji specifically objects to the constitutional protection of minority religious communities such as Hindus and Muslims. State favoritism of Christianity, and systematic attacks on temples, are some of the greatest threats faced by Fijian Hindus. Despite the creation of a human rights commission, the plight of Hindus in Fiji continues to be precarious.<ref name="Hindusin" />

=== Trinidad & Tobago ===
During the initial decades of Indian indenture, Indian cultural forms were met with either contempt or indifference by the Christian majority.<ref name="Singh">Singh, Sherry-Ann, Hinduism and the State in Trinidad,Inter-Asia Cultural Studies, Volume 6, Number 3, September 2005, pp. 353–365(13)</ref> Hindus have made many contributions to Trinidad history and culture even though the state historically regarded Hindus as second class citizens. Hindus in Trinidad struggled over the granting of adult franchise, the Hindu marriage bill, the divorce bill, cremation ordinance, and others.<ref name="Singh"/> After Trinidad's independence from colonial rule, Hindus were marginalized by the African based People's National Movement. The opposing party, the People's Democratic party, was portrayed as a "Hindu group", and Hindus were castigated as a "recalcitrant and hostile minority".<ref name="Singh"/> The displacement of PNM from power in 1985 would improve the situation.

Intensified protests over the course of the 1980s led to an improvement in the state's attitudes towards Hindus.<ref name="Singh"/> The divergence of some of the fundamental aspects of local Hindu culture, the segregation of the Hindu community from Trinidad, and the disinclination to risk erasing the more fundamental aspects of what had been constructed as "Trinidad Hinduism" in
which the identity of the group had been rooted, would often generate dissension when certain dimensions of Hindu culture came into contact with the State. While the incongruences continue to generate debate, and often conflict, it is now tempered with growing awareness and consideration on the part of the state to the Hindu minority.<ref name="Singh"/> Hindus have been also been subjected to persistent proselytization by Christian missionaries.<ref name="state.gov">[http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2002/14060.htm International Religious Freedom Report 2002: Trinidad and Tobago<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
Specifically the evangelical and Pentecostal Christians. Such activities reflect racial tensions that at times arise between the Christianized Afro-Trinidadian and Hindu Indo-Trinidadian communities.<ref name="state.gov"/>

=== South Africa ===
South Africa is home to a small Hindu minority. In 2006, the son of an Islamic cleric named Ahmed Deedat, circulated a DVD that denounced South African Hindus. The elder Deedat, former head of the Arab funded "Islamic Propagation Centre International" (IPCI), had previously circulated an anti-Hindu video in the 1980s where he said that Indian Muslims were 'fortunate' that their Hindu forefathers 'saw the light' and converted to Islam when Muslim rulers dominated some areas of India. His video was widely criticized. While Hindus in South Africa have largely ignored the new anti-Hindu DVD circulated by Deedat Junior, he has been severely criticized by local Muslims, including other members of the IPCI.{{Citation needed|date=April 2007}}The IPCI said in a statement that Yusuf Deedat did not represent the organisation in any way. Deedat Junior, undeterred by the opposition from his own brethren, continues to circulate the material.He has placed advertisements in newspapers inviting anyone to collect a free copy from his residence to see for themselves "what the controversy is about".<ref>[http://www.indiaenews.com/africa/20060312/230.htm South African Muslims reject anti-Hindu DVD],''India Enews''</ref>

=== United States ===
{{See also|Dotbusters}}
Hindu immigrants constitute approximately 0.5% of the total population of the United States. They are also the second most affluent religious group after the Jews. Hindus in the U.S. enjoy both ''de jure'' and ''de facto'' legal equality. However, it is widely acknowledged that the Hindu community in the U.S. became more politically active{{Citation needed|date=November 2010}} after a series of attacks by a street gang called the "[[Dotbusters]]" in [[New Jersey]] in 1987.<ref>[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE0DB173FF931A25753C1A961948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2 "In Jersey City, Indians Protest Violence"]. ''The New York Times''.</ref> The lackadaisical attitude of the local police prompted the South Asian community to arrange small groups all across the state to fight back against the street gang. The perpetrators have been put to trial. On 2 January 2012, a Hindu worship center in New York City was firebombed.<ref>[http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre8010ie-us-crime-newyork/ "New York firebomb attacks hit mosque, Hindu site"]. ''News Daily''. 2 January 2012</ref>

==See also==
* [[Anti-Hinduism]]
* [[Negationism in India - Concealing the Record of Islam]]
* [[Hindu Temples - What Happened to Them]]
* [[Conversion of non-Muslim places of worship into mosques]]
* [[The History of India, as Told by Its Own Historians. The Muhammadan Period]] (Book)
* [[Hinduism in Iran]]
* [[2007 HINDRAF rally]]
* [[Muslim League Attack on Sikhs and Hindus in the Punjab 1947]]
* [[Expulsion of Indians from Burma in 1962]]
* [[Love Jihad]]

'''Other religions:'''
* [[Persecution of Jews]]
* [[Persecution of Christians]]
* [[Persecution of Muslims]]
* [[Persecution of Ahmadi Muslims]]
* [[Persecution of Roman religion]]
* [[Persecution of Ancient Greek religion]]
* [[Persecution of Heathens (disambiguation)|Persecution of Heathens]]

==Notes==
<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;">
{{Reflist|2}}
</div>
*[http://www.infinityfoundation.com/mandala/h_es/h_es_malfuzat_frameset.htm Memoir of the Emperor Timur (Malfuzat-i Timuri)] Timur's memoirs on his invasion of India; describes in detail the massacre of Hindus, forced conversions to Islam and the plunder of the wealth of Hindustan (India). Compiled in the book: "[[The History of India, as Told by Its Own Historians. The Muhammadan Period]]", by Sir H. M. Elliot, Edited by John Dowson; London, Trubner Company; 1867–1877

==External links==
* [http://www.hrcbm.org Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities]
* [http://www.hrdc.net/sahrdc/hrfeatures/HRF13.htm The Hindu Minority in Bangladesh]
* [http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGASA130062001?open&of=ENG-BGD Attacks on the Hindu Minority in Bangladesh] – Amnesty International
* [http://www.uscirf.gov/mediaroom/news/news_archive/2005/july/07142005_atrocities.html Atrocities on Hindus catch US Congressmen's attention] – United States Commission on Religious Freedom
* [http://in.rediff.com/news/2004/mar/24russia.htm Row over Krishna temple in Moscow]

{{Religious persecution}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Persecution Of Hindus}}
[[Category:Religious persecution]]
[[Category:History of Hinduism]]
[[Category:Forced migration]]
[[Category:Anti-Hinduism]]
[[Category:Human rights in India]]
[[Category:Human rights abuses in Bangladesh]]
[[Category:Human rights in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Human rights in Afghanistan]]
[[Category:Human rights in Bhutan]]
[[Category:Human rights in Italy]]
[[Category:Human rights in Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Human rights in Malaysia]]
[[Category:Human rights in Saudi Arabia]]
[[Category:Human rights in Fiji]]
[[Category:Human rights in Trinidad and Tobago]]
[[Category:Human rights in the United States]]
[[Category:Persecution of Hindus|*]]
[[Category:Violence against Hindus]]

Revision as of 07:25, 19 August 2013

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