Statement From Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi On The Hate-Motivated Attack On The Swaminarayan Temple in Louisville, KY And On The Broader Hindu Community

SCHAUMBURG, IL – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi issued the following statement in response to news that the Swaminarayan Temple in Louisville, KY was the target of a hate-motivated attack by vandals:

"I am outraged and heartbroken to see the vandalism of Louisville, Kentucky's Swaminarayan Temple in what was unquestionably an act of hate that strikes at the sense of security and belonging of the Hindu-American community in Louisville and across our nation. This act of violent bigotry touches me personally as a Congressman and as a Hindu-American. This is an attack on our identity as a nation that accepts people of all races, colors, creeds and backgrounds committed to building our more perfect, more diverse union. We must show our support for the Swaminarayan Temple, even as we recognize this prejudice as part of growing trend of hate-motivated crimes in America, whether it's against a Hindu temple in Louisville, a synagogue in Los Angeles, or a man walking alone down the morning streets of Chicago.

To address the increase in hate crimes we've witnessed over these past few years, I'll be introducing an updated version of legislation I introduced last Congress to establish a federal commission on hate crimes to investigate the nature of this increase in hate-motivated attacks, its root causes, and how we defeat it. My heart is with the Swaminarayan Temple in Louisville today, and I will remain committed to confronting and defeating the individuals and forces responsible."