Temple desecrated by Khalistanis in California
Hayward, California, United States 
1 January, 2024
Case Summary
The Vijay’s Sherawali Temple in Hayward, California, was vandalised with pro-Khalistani slogans, including "Khalistan Zindabad" and "Modi is a terrorist." The temple administration confirmed the incident, labelling it a hate crime and informing the police. The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) also reported the attack, noting similarities to previous incidents in the Bay Area. The temple, dedicated to Fijian Hindu immigrant Vijay Chand, serves as a community center for Hindus in the area.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
In Hinduism, a temple is the abode of the Deity. The Deity in the Temple is consecrated, thereby, making it a real, breathing entity. Hindus believe that not just the Deity but the temple premises itself are sacred to Hindus since Hindus hold the faith that the entire Temple space is an amalgamation of the divine energy of the deity. Given the central significance of Temples in Hindu Dharma, any attack against a Hindu Temple or its peripheral premises is an attack on the faith itself and is born out of animosity towards the faith, of which, the Temple is a central tenet. Any manner of attack against a Temple and/or its premises would therefore be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. In this case, the Khalistani perpetrators defaced a Hindu temple with anti-Modi slogans. While it can be said that since the slogans were against India's Prime Minister in particular, the crime should not be documented as a religiously motivated hate crime. However, the truth remains that the attack on Hindu temples is in itself reflective of the hostility the perpetrators nurture against Hindus. Let us assume that the anti-Modi message was scrawled on a street wall. That, while still reflective of the separatist mentality of Khalistani perpetrators, cannot necessarily be deemed an anti-Hindu hate crime in and of itself. Now, let us assume that the temple was desecrated with a graffiti which did not mention PM Modi at all, but was a generic message. the very fact that the graffiti was made on a Temple wall makes the crime a religiously motivated hate crime since it is the desecration of a place of worship, regardless of the nature of the message the temple is being desecrated with. For that reason, this case is being documented as a religiously motivated hate crime.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Sikh Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
