A very popular American Textbook titled ‘Traditions & Encounters – A Global perspective on the past’ written by Jerry H Bentley and Herbert F Ziegler is the source of hateful mythology against all Eastern Religions, especially Hinduism. This book is taught to standard ten students and may be other college students in the USA. Looks like the authors came from a Jesuit seminary to put Hinduism down. This is what most Americans read in schools and they form their opinions about Hinduism and Buddhism. The imaginary hateful concepts against Hinduism that were preached by Max Müller form the basis of this textbook in all public schools of the United States. If the six million strong Hindu American community sues the Department of Education of United States for institutionalizing hate against Hindus through fraudulent narrations that reek of British colonial rulers against the Hindus of India and other parts of the world, the United States human rights record will be further questioned. In a Christian / Catholic majority country what is the insecurity of the Education Department of the United States against the minority faith of Hindus? Were they scared that if Americans know the real philosophy of Bhagavad Gita, Mahabharat or Ramayan, then they won’t have any attraction for abrahamic faiths ? That’s the only plausible reason that comes to my mind.
The California textbooks have been known to be racist against Hindus. The textbook reform committee has a bunch of selected teachers who do not belong to any Hindu tradition and they are mostly led by non-Hindus to control the narration.
The world’s third largest religion has only three pages dedicated to it with mostly fake narrations. It just shows that the American textbooks on global traditions are only meant to promote Catholicism or Christianity. Nothing wrong with that but then the American Education department must not ask everyone to attend American public schools especially children from the families of Hindus and Buddhists. Hindus and Buddhists must have their own schools which do not have such blasphemous content against their faiths.
Jerry Bentley and Herbert Zeiglar have done a great disservice to the USA by propagating the lies of Max Mueller against Hindus. Most misconceptions against Hindus have come from their texts which from the point of view of Hindus, are utter garbage and also blasphemous.
Let me take you directly to the examples, page by page. Everyone knows that Vedas are the world’s oldest repository of knowledge. Max Mueller mistranslated them for the imperial British crown to colonize the mindset of Hindus by introducing abrahamic thoughts into the translations. Needless to say that the American authors of textbooks have carried forward the same Christian colonizing concepts to denigrate the faith of Hindus.
1. Chapter 9, page 232 (Part II : The formation of Classical Societies): Jerry Bentley (J.B) and Herbert Ziegler (H.Z) write, “The great poems, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, illustrate the development of Hindu Values. Both works originated as secular tales transmitted orally during the late years of the Vedic age (1500-500 BCE). Brahmin scholars revised them and committed them to writing probably during the early centuries CE. Though originally a purely secular work, the Brahmins made a prominent place in the poem for the god Vishnu, the preserver of the world who intervened frequently on behalf of virtuous individuals. ”
Rebuttal: This statement by J.B and H.Z reeks of conspiracy. The entire Mahabharata and Ramayana have never been modified because of the accuracy of sanskrit. A slight modification in Sanskrit in any one line will necessitate change in the entire text of Ramayana and Mahabharata. Moreover, the history of writing of Mahabharata & Ramayana is mentioned in those original texts itself. J.B and H.Z introduce the word secular, which is their misunderstanding. Hinduism is a scientific faith which is based on human values in contrast to abrahamic faiths where the word secular is needed to introduce human values. Both these authors J.B and H.Z are showing their bigotry against Brahmins. A Brahmin is a teacher. Any teacher that focuses on spirituality while controlling senses is a Brahmin. The hatred of J.B and H.Z against Brahmins is palpable. Hatred of Brahmins is itself a hatred of one aspect of Hinduism.
2. J.B and H.Z further write, “Later Brahmin editors made Rama an incarnation of Vishnu, and they portrayed Rama and Sita as the ideal Hindu husband and wife, devoted and loyal to each other even in times of immense difficulty.”
Rebuttal: It is very clear that J.B and H.Z hate Brahmins and Hindus. They also do not understand Ram ayan. Their abrahamic hatred against Hinduism is palpable. Who are they to misrepresent Valmiki Ramayan? Rama is always declared as Vishnu by Valmiki himself. This line is purposely written to misguide american children against Hinduism to protect their Christian followers. Why should a Christian comment on a sacred hindu text without actually reading it and trying to understand it under a Hindu teacher? This is the second deliberate conspiracy to defame Hinduism in mainstream American textbooks. Clearly a case for a lawsuit against the racially and religious blasphemous education system of the USA.
3. J.B and H.Z further write in the next paragraph, “A short poetic work known as the Bhagavad Gita (“song of the Lord”) best illustrates both the expectations that Hinduism made of individuals and the promise of salvation that it held out to them. The Gita was the work of many hands, and the date of its composition is uncertain. Scholars have placed it at various points between 300 BCE and 300 CE and it most likely underwent several rounds of revision before taking on its final form about 400 CE. Yet it eloquently evokes the cultural climate of India between Mauryan and the Gupta dynasties.
Rebuttal: J.B and H.Z do not know that Gita is a part of Mahabharat. It is spoken directly by Krishna who is Bhagavan. Ganesh documented it. It is again a hateful narrative to undermine the depth of a Bhagavad Gita. It is clear the neither Max Mueller understood Gita but also their ignorant pupils J.B and H.Z. If Gita was a short poetic work then why did Mark Twain quoted it as the deepest book. Who is a scholar in America, especially on Bhagavad Gita? Scholarly consensus amongst Americans on a sacred Hindu text doesn’t make sense unless those Americans follow the traditions of India so as to not minimize the importance of Bhagavad Gita. The seven hundred verses of Bhagavad Gita are more than enough to make a civilized and intelligent human being. Again this is a hateful propaganda to defame and belittle Hinduism. The dating of Bhagavad Gita is factually incorrect and it is just a fake narration to fool American kids and adults alike.
4. J.B and H.Z blasphemous tirade to misguide Americans against Hinduism continues in their hateful propaganda against Bhagavad Gita, “Krishna also held that Arjuna’s caste imposed specific moral duties and social responsibilities upon him.”
Rebuttal: Caste is a Portuguese word. It is again a mistranslation of Sanskrit. In Hinduism the karma and guna (the original human nature) is important. Birth based division is not accepted. Again, J.B and H.Z make a folly in their commentary on Hinduism to blaspheme it further so that Americans are naturally not attracted to it. It’s unfortunate that American kids are purposely kept away from Bhagavad Gita because of some jealous and hateful textbook writers.
5. If this was not it, then read the next point mentioned by J.B and H.Z. Their hatred of Bhagavad Gita, the most sacred of Hindu texts is self-evident. They write, “Other works by early Hindu moralists acknowledged even more openly than did the Bhagavad Gita that individuals could lead honorable lives in the world.”
Rebuttal: All Vedas, Ramayana, Mahabharata (Bhagavad Gita is included), Upanishads and Puranas have no contradictions. Bhagavad Gita is a confirmation by Krishna Himself who is the object of focus of the entire Vedic philosophy. The J.B and H.Z prove their ignorance of Hinduism further.
If I could find so many deliberate blasphemy about Hinduism in just two pages of history being taught to American children, then what might American universities be researching & teaching, would be anybody’s guess?
The anti Hindu narrative of many American universities is a deliberate propaganda based on a myth. The rising cases of political racism against Hindus in the USA is directly the result of this type of blasphemous education against the faith of millions of Americans. It is high time that the Education Secretary of the USA pay attention and first ban this racist and blasphemous history being taught in American schools and universities.
The intent is questioned here and I hope that educated Hindus will take cognizance of this historical blunder in American textbooks to stem the rise of institutionalized Hindu hatred in USA.
