AAPI Criticizes Kentucky Official for Comments Disparaging Hindus
Nov 10, 2011
Chicago, IL - The American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) issued the following statement criticizing Kentucky Senate President David Williams for his intolerant remarks directed toward Hindus.
“We are shocked in this day and age of pluralism and tolerance, that such a backward mentality exists in such a highly-elected official anywhere in America,” said Dr. Sunita Kanumury, MD, AAPI president.
“There is no room for such intolerance and bigotry in our nation, especially by an elected official who is supposed to represent everyone of all races and religions. We call on David Williams to fully apologize for his comments and offer a full retraction on his website.”
Williams made disparaging comments about Hindus last week during a ground-breaking ceremony for an Indian company that is making a major investment in Kentucky, with 250 new jobs being created by a capital investment of $180 million. Williams ran for governor of Kentucky against incumbent governor Steve Beshear and made the comments on the campaign trail.
According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, a newspaper in Kentucky, Williams said, “He's there participating with Hindu priests, participating in a religious ceremony. He's sitting down there with his legs crossed, participating in Hindu prayers with a dot on his forehead with incense burning around him. I don't know what the man was thinking.”
"If I'm a Christian, I don't participate in Jewish prayers. I'm glad they do that. I don't participate in Hindu prayers. I don't participate in Muslim prayers. I don't do that. To get down and get involved and participate in prayers to these polytheistic situations, where you have these Hindu gods that they are praying to, doesn't appear to me to be in line with what a governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky ought to be doing.”
Williams later said his remarks did not show disrespect to Hindus. "I think you disrespect other people's religion when you go down there,” and said he had visited countries that had Hindu ceremonies but did not want to participate. "That would be idolatry." Speaking of his opponent running for reelection, governor Steve Beshear, he said, “[y]et between his not being pro-life and his support for gambling and now getting down and doing Hindu prayers to these Hindu gods, I think his grandfathers wouldn't be very pleased with Steve Beshear."
Williams lost to Beshear by a 21 point margin on Tuesday, 56 - 35 percent according to unofficial election results. AAPI members can call David Williams personally to voice their disappointment at his intolerant remarks at (502) 871-4775.