Washington and New York: Hindus show support for Krishna devotees in Kazakhstan.

Today, just a few hours ago, between noon and 2 PM over 100 members of US Hindu community turned out at the Kazakhstan embassy to show their support for Krishna devotees in Kazakhstan. Hindu’s message was to call upon the national government of Kazakhstan to live up to its stated principles about religious freedom, and to protect the rights of Hindus and other minorities in the country.
At any given time during the two hour demonstration there were at least 60 protesters carrying brightly colored signs, “DON’T BULLDOZE OUR HOMES”, “PRESIDENT NAZARBAYEV PROTECT YOUR CITIZENS”, “HARE KRISHNAS HAVE RIGHTS TOO!” and “DON’T JUST TALK ABOUT FREEDOM PROTECT IT.”

The protest took place at the same time as a similar demonstration in New York City—and during an international conference of religious leaders in Kazakhstan. Many human rights groups and governments are pressuring the Kazakh government to not just have conferences on religious freedom, but to uphold it in their own county.
Protest letter was presented to both the DC Embassy and the NY Consulate. Sonia Chopra, a board member of the Hindu-Jain Temple Association, Erik Schwarz, a Christian minister and member of multiple interfaith organizations, and Anuttama Dasa, ISKCON Communications Director and DC Temple president, had scheduled an appointment with a representative of the Kazakh Ambassador.

That meeting however, was very disturbing, and demonstrates what is wrong in Kazakhstan, a former Soviet satellite country. Despite the fact that an appointment had been arranged several days ago, and despite the fact that the three persons who attended the meeting represent large and respectable organizations, the Embassy person refused to invite Hindu representatives into the Embassy, or to even offer them a seat. Instead, he would only speak to them outdoors, standing up, on the steps of the embassy. And, in a complete break with protocol, at first he even refused to accept the documents Hindus were giving to him for the Ambassador.
So, Hindus saw first hand the lack of respect the Kazakhstan government gives to religious people, or religious freedom.