Atlanta, GA, August 28, 2019: Anti-Hindu graffiti scrawled on a CVS pharmacy in the Jackson Heights neighborhood of Queens, New York City has reportedly sprung up.
The spray-painted graffiti, which features a red line drawn through the Hindu syllable “Om”, comes at the heels of beating of a Hindu religious leader last month in Queens.
According to reports in 2015; 40 Hindu religious flags were burned outside a home in Queens on Thanksgiving Day.
Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism, in a statement in Nevada today, said that it was shocking for the hard-working, harmonious and peaceful US Hindu community numbering about three million; who had made lot of contributions to the nation and society; to receive such signals of hatred and anger.
Zed urged administration for swift action to regain the reportedly falling confidence of the Hindu community; and to New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, Queens Community Board 3 Chairperson Renetta English and CVS Health CEO Larry J. Merlo to contact the area Hindu community to reassure them.
CVS Pharmacy President Kevin Hourican should apologize to the community for reported delay in removing the graffiti in this neighborhood store, Rajan Zed indicated.
Zed also urged leaders of various religions and denominations in New York City to strongly and openly condemn this hateful incident and extend their support to the area Hindu community.
Zed urged fellow Hindus nationwide to educate fellow Americans about Hinduism, the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about 1.1 billion adherents; and try to remove any misconceptions about it. “Om” is the mystical syllable containing the universe, which in Hinduism is used to introduce and conclude religious work.
CVS Pharmacy, founded 1963 and the retail division of Woonsocket (Rhode Island) headquartered CVS Health, claims to be “America’s leading retail pharmacy” with over 9,900 locations.
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