World Hindu Council of America (VHPA) is delighted that for the first time in its history, the U.S . Senate on July 12 was opened with a Hindu prayer said by a Hindu chaplain, Rajan Zed, a Hindu from Nevada. We express our gratitude and appreciation to all the Senate Leaders including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who were involved in providing an opportunity to the over 2 million Hindus in America to be represented in the US Senate.

VHPA joins the 2 million Hindus in America who are part of over a billion of the world's population, in applauding the US Senate and American Leadership in taking the steps that manifest the American principles of Life, Liberty, Pursuit of Happiness, Freedom of religion, etc. thereby respecting the religious diversity of our Great Nation.

Through this wonderful gesture of reaching out to the vibrant, hard-working, nationalistic, patriotic, peace-loving and deeply faithful Hindu community, the US Senate has touched a chord with this diverse Hindu population of USA which traces its origin to India and represents many other countries in the world.

In this time of turmoil in the world, the much needed Universal message of Peace, Harmony, 'Omnipresence of the Almighty' and the need for resolve and wisdom to work together delivered by the Hindu chaplain was very appropriate.

In celebrating this historic event of July 12th in the US Senate we are reminded of our responsibility of raising awareness about Hinduism and its countless contributions over the last 5000 years. We were profoundly saddened by the blatantly offensive and factually erroneous propaganda by the uninformed American Family Association that viciously condemned and denigrated Hindus, their faith and its contribution. The American Family Association was represented at the Senate by 3 miscreants who tried to disrupt this solemn and historic occasion.

Just to quote Albert Einstein and Mark Twain:
"We owe a lot to the Indians (Hindus), who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made." -Albert Einstein

"India (Land of Hindus) is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grandmother of tradition ." -Mark Twain