Back To Prabhupada, Issue 6, Winter 2004/5
n issues 2 and 4 of Back to Prabhupada (BTP), we highlighted the successful presentations given by the ISKCON Revival Movement (IRM) at two of the world's most prestigious academic conferences: the Annual Meeting of the American Family Foundation, or AFF, the world's largest anti-cult organisation; followed by the CESNUR (Center for Studies on New Religions) 2004 International Conference, the world's largest academic organisation dedicated to new religious movements.
In Nov 2004, Krishnakant - the editor of BTP and the author of the IRM's foundational publication The Final Order - was invited to yet another major scholarly event; this time it was the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion, or AAR. The AAR is the world's largest and most comprehensive academic organisation dedicated to the study of religion, with over 9000 members. Its prestige is recognised around the world. The famous Ford Foundation has awarded the Academy with a grant well in excess of a quarter of a million dollars; while Harper Collins, one of the world's leading publishing houses, announced just prior to the conference:
"We are always excited to participate in this convention...it brings together the top religionists in the world."
Over 7500 delegates descended on the San Antonio Convention Center in Texas for the 2004 Annual Meeting. Krishnakant had been invited as part of a group of scholars who would question and interact with representatives of ISKCON, the Unification Church and the Church of Scientology. Of course, Krishnakant was invited specifically to address the presentation made by ISKCON, which was represented once again by GBC member and Director of Communications, Anuttama Das.
Krishnakant met some scholars from previous conferences, one of whom greeted him by asking whether he would be presenting, or whether it was the "bad Hare Krishnas" who were going to be speaking! Clearly, the message regarding the existence of a valid, alternative movement that is based on the unadulterated teachings of ISKCON founder and Guru Srila Prabhupada is reaching the highest levels of academia.
In his talk, Anuttama outlined claims that ISKCON was not a cult, but part of a 5000 year-old tradition, which was now much more "open" and "integrated" with the secular world, and which was maturing as an organisation, and acting with integrity.
During the follow-up session after the talk, Krishnakant challenged Anuttama to explain the dichotomy between claims that ISKCON was more "open" and "integrated" with the outside society, but was more oppressive and closed than ever to divergent opinions from its own members. Krishankant then catalogued evidence for this in terms of the bans and violence ISKCON has inflicted upon those who are promoting Srila Prabhupada as the bona fide Guru of ISKCON.
One recent example, following on from previous BTP reports of ISKCON violence, is the gang assault on September 5, 2004 by up to 10 male Indian "devotees" on three defenceless victims: 50 year old monk Madhusudana Das; Mr. Ravi Patel (Revatinandana Das); and Mr. Patel's daughter Rukmini. The assault took place on a public road outside Bhaktivedanta Manor, the ISKCON UK headquarters, during the Janmasthami festival. All three were lawfully and peacefully distributing leaflets highlighting the banning of devotees from the Manor by Temple President Gauri Das, when they were surrounded and attacked by the thugs. The police have officially recorded this entire episode in which a young girl armed only with leaflets was shamelessly and violently assaulted by a gang of male "devotees" as "Crime reference J2/04/1568: Hate crime on the basis of religion".
Many of the other scholars who had not been exposed to this viewpoint were clearly surprised to hear such things, since Anuttama has been working hard for the last several years trying to convince the academic and anticult community that the current ISKCON institution is not a violent cult, but a respectable religious organisation.
Later, following a "cross-examination" of Anuttama by some of the other scholars present, one of the organisers of the meeting began to ask another question. However, surprisingly, he said that he wanted to ask this question not to Anuttama, but to Krishnakant! He asked Krishnakant what the relationship was between the IRM and the Hindu community. Krishnakant responded that it was very good, specifically because the Hindu community does not believe that worshippers should be banned from temples. He went on to detail the work that the IRM is doing, for example, with the Hindu Council UK, a consultative body to the UK Government for British Hindus, to appraise them of the banning of Hindus being carried out by ISKCON temples in the UK, which are themselves members of the National Council of Hindu Temples and the British Hindu Forum! Krishnakant stated that the conservative Hindu community is generally aghast at the misdeeds of the various ISKCON "Gurus" exposed by the IRM, who have, to quote HH Jayadvaita Swami, one such current ISKCON "Guru", "usurped and misused money, and diverted other ISKCON resources for their own personal sense gratification", and "had illicit sexual intercourse with both women and men, and possibly children as well." Thus the IRM's relationship with the wider Hindu community was not only very good, but getting even stronger as Hindus become more aware of the work of the IRM.
Anuttama did manage to circulate a booklet published by ISKCON Communications, entitled "ISKCON and Interfaith: ISKCON in Relation to People of Faith in God". The booklet itself contains a number of moral platitudes such as "Always be honest and truthful", and holds up "Respect", "Tolerance" and "Good behaviour" as principles for ISKCON members to follow when interacting with people of different faiths. Yet after the evidence presented of lies and violence perpetrated by ISKCON against members of its own religion, the scholars could be forgiven for thinking that this is just another cynical public relations exercise by the GBC. Indeed, the booklet even quotes the response of some scholars, such as the German theologian Prof. Dr. Ulrich Dehn who, "reflecting previous unhappy encounters", also challenges ISKCON to match the "theory of its interfaith statement with practice". We couldn't agree more.
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