Last week we witnessed a so-called leading ‘Liberal’ politician in Australia go on a rampage in Parliament and openly mock not just our Yogaśāstra, but the very essence of Sanathan Dharma and Hinduism. The apparent dislike coming out of the mouth of Josh Frydenberg (an Australian politician who has been Treasurer of Australia and Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party) was nothing short of a disgrace of yoga and Hinduism.
The incident took place when he stood up to undermine his opposition. In doing so he desecrated the faith of billions. Let me set the context, this is what he said:
“I was thinking yesterday, as the member for Rankin was coming into the chamber fresh from his Ashram deep in the mountains of the Himalayas barefoot in the chamber, robes flowing, incense burning, beads in one hand, wellbeing budget in the other, I thought to myself: “What yoga position the member for Rankin would assume … to deliver the first wellbeing budget?’”
The speech went on and got worse. In fact, a petition that has been set up to get a full apology states:
‘Frydenberg launched into a hideous performance where he showed utter contempt for large sections of the community by denigrating citizens of the Hindu faith and yoga practitioners. In doing so he also mocked the idea of looking after the most vulnerable people in our society. His speech included deriding Ashrams, yoga poses, and stereotyping imagery of "flowing robes, burning incense and meditation mats." LNP ministers around him laughed on hysterically as the MP for Kooyong behaved like a racist comedian from the 1970s. The Speaker allowed this travesty to go on.’
This should not come as a surprise of course. After all, do remember around the world we have got Christians who are now claiming that there is something called ‘Christian Yoga’. Yes you read that correctly, we have a full-blown industry that is repackaging a central element of our faith, mislabelling it for the sole purpose, as far as I can make out, of making fools of followers and making a quick buck.
Let’s not stop there, in our own backyard, India – there are claims that some Christian clergy dress up as Hindu priests and perform Aarti in the Church to convert weak minded Hindus to becoming Christians. When a nation like India sits back and allows foreign entities full access to use any and all means to convert the most vulnerable, is it not time to say enough is enough? When will this madness of some faiths, that exist only for the sole purpose of harvesting souls, stop?
Going back to Frydenberg, astonishingly he is of Jewish descent. Hindus and Jews have been champions of truth and justice for thousands of years. Hindus in India were there to protect the Jewish community at their time of need. Some would say that Frydenberg has let the whole Jewish community down with his vile exhibition to get a few seconds of fame.
I believe that every Indian, every person must demand that Frydenberg comes to Parliament and gives an unreserved wholesome apology not just to the Hindus in Australia, but to the whole Indic community around the world. He has disgraced himself and the office he holds. It’s time for accountability.
