A Hindu temple in an Ohio community was vandalized in an alleged attack involving bricks, according to two Hindu American advocacy groups.
The Swaminarayan Hindu Temple Vadthaldham in the greater Cleveland area sustained damage after its windows were shattered, the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) and the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) said Friday.
The alleged attack took place Friday afternoon while priests and several devotees were inside the temple, the groups said.
The incident comes less than 10 days before the Indian American community in Ohio is expected to begin celebrating Hindu Heritage Month with the Navaratri festival.
“This is real now. Online hate has morphed into a real-world attack on a Hindu temple. Review the video & catch the perpetrator,” Suhag Shukla, executive director of the Hindu American Foundation, said in a post on X.
The HAF said the possible hate crime comes amid what it described as unprecedented hate and hostile rhetoric directed at the Hindu American community.
“We also call on our nation’s elected leaders & government agencies to publicly and unequivocally condemn hateful rhetoric against Indian and Hindu American communities,” the organization said.
The Coalition of Hindus of North America also urged Richmond Heights Mayor Kim Thomas and local authorities to publicly condemn the alleged attack and called for swift action by law enforcement.
“We call upon Mayor Kim Thomas and @RichmondHtsOH to condemn such bigotry and @PoliceRichmond to take swift action against the perpetrator,” CoHNA said in a statement.
Authorities have been urged to investigate the incident and determine whether it was motivated by religious or other bias.
