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Ram Temple float “symbol of violence,” says US-based Muslim body
The IAMC contends that the inclusion of the Ram Mandir float in NY’s India Day parade is anti-Muslim.
Planned Parade Float sparks religious tensions in New York City. / Facebook/VHPA, Courtesy Photo/IAMC
The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), an advocacy group for Indian Muslims in the U.S., has condemned the inclusion of the Ram Mandir float in New York’s India Day Parade to be held by the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) on Aug.18.
Terming the float as a "symbol of violence, historical injustice, and religious intolerance,"the IAMC in a statement said that the float’s inclusion is an attempt to instil fear in the Muslim community.
“It is deeply troubling to see far-right groups turning our nation's independence into a circus of hate and religious supremacy. The proposed float for the parade is a brazen attempt to glorify the demolition of the Babri Mosque and celebrate violence and terror against 200 million Indian Muslims. This is not a cultural or religious display but a vile celebration of anti-Muslim hate and bigotry,” said IAMC president Mohammed Jawad.
The Ram Temple, inaugurated on Jan.22, in Ayodhya, India, stands on the site of the historic Babri Mosque, which was demolished by a Hindu mob in 1992, an event that sparked deadly riots across India. In 2019, the Supreme Court of India awarded the site to the Nimrohi Akhara and the Hindu Mahasabha for the temple's construction, a decision that remains contentious.
The IAMC has called on New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams to take "urgent and decisive measures" to prevent the float’s inclusion in the parade. “Such an event threatens the values of inclusivity and tolerance that New York City and the state of New York proudly uphold,” Jawad added.
The parade has previously faced similar controversies. In August 2022, a float at the India Day Parade in Edison, New Jersey, depicting a bulldozer—a symbol associated with the demolition of Muslim homes in India—drew widespread condemnation, including from U.S. Senators Cory Booker and Bob Menendez.
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