2. Kishangarh marble dumping yard is a health hazard. We called, sent emails, text messages, engaged subordinates, and tried to find him in person. The FBI said in a statement that it was at the temple "on court-authorized law enforcement activity" and that it had no further comment. As reported byAmerican Bazaar, the raid on the temple was conducted by three US Federal agencies including the FBI: Workers from India were paid $1.20 and their passports were confiscated: report. their right to believe that God told them that Whites are superior, and fight this in Court? She went to America and into the Sea Org where no child belongs. Most big religious leaders have private jets, live in mega-mansions, and are paid exorbitant salaries and benefits. Whether you live in India or overseas, you can take a paid subscription by clicking here. TRANSGRESSION 'Action' taken against Neptune vice principal involved in transphobic rant, by The Asbury Park Press Joe Strupp: School district officials have taken 'swift and serious action' against the middle school vice principal who threw a beer at fellow diners during a videotaped transphobic meltdown last month that went viral, according to a district notice. In a lawsuit filedTuesdayin US District Court of Newark,six workers allegedthatthe organisation brought them to theUnited Statesfrom India to work on an extension of the temple situated in Robbinsville, New Jersey. This is an egregious abuse of the system that has been used by Scientology and other religions that want First Amendment protections to keep all abuse hidden and to strip victims of their rights to seek justice in secular courts. What she did outside of that, I have absolutely nothing to do with that. Assemblymember Jamel Holley (D-Union) trying to draw distance between himself and accused Capitol rioter Stephanie Hazelton, who introduced him at a Statehouse anti-vaxx rally as a superstar and once prominently featured a photo with him on her Facebook profile. As an aside, any religious group is tax-exempt and does not need to file for a formal 501(c)(3) tax-exempt recognition with the IRS. Good point. Their passports wereallegedlyimpoundedand they were confined to a fenced, guarded area. This is why Martha Stewart cannot serve on the Board of her own company. Seats on the advisory board remain open, and members of that board have been unable to meet both because they lacked a quorum and because there is no ombudsman to coordinate with., N.J. Because they have subjective belief systems called religion.. FBI agents and other law enforcement officials raided the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Robbinsville, NJ, following a lawsuit by several workers accusing the temple of exploiting them and paying the equivalent of roughly $1.20 an hour. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in federal court, accuses Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, a Hindu sect known as BAPS, and its leaders of "shocking violations," including forced labor, trafficking and wage theft. The May raid on a Hindu temple in New Jersey, however, . Arguing from exceptions/abuses, one could posit that the govt should take more strenuous efforts at domestic surveillance or should apply less scruple to what constitutes lawful search and seizure to curb the evils that are enabled by these Constitutional protections. The lawsuit says hundreds of workers from India suffered torturous treatment. The Nation of Islam has incurred severe criticism for these beliefs, but it has never faced any legal challenges over its religious right to embrace these core beliefs. DOWNLOAD THE POLITICO MOBILE APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. These Sea Org members are not free to call home when they want. You mentioned correctly: The Biden Administration has identified White Supremacy as the major domestic terrorist threat. I dont pretend that I am in a position to fact-check how much of this threat is real, especially since we live in an environment where demagogues and hucksters are throwing these terms around with abandon at anyone they disagree with. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Anyone can read what you share. still months away from getting body cameras to all officers at troubled womens prison, top official says, by NJ Advance Medias Blake Nelson: All officers at New Jerseys only womens prison should have body cameras by the fall, Corrections Commissioner Marcus Hicks said Tuesday during his first public appearance before state senators since those lawmakers voted overwhelmingly for his ouster. The US Government did not challenge the Mormons on its racist priesthood. It opened in 1984, making it the oldest Hindu temple in the Dayton metropolitan area. This is why the religious hypocrites that benefit from human suffering fight to maintain the status quo. Did the Founders want cynical and self-serving religious leaders and their churches to amass great wealth and power by conning simple believers and covering up for rapists and pedophiles in their midst? Sikander Ranu says his religion differs widely from the BAPS sect of Hinduism, including that Sikhism does not recognize the caste system, which he feels may have made these workers more vulnerable. However, Jeffs still leads FLDS from prison. They were brought to the United States on religious visas, or R-1 visas temporary visas used for clergy and lay religious workers such as missionaries and presented to the U.S. government as volunteers, according to the claim. The labourers were presented to the US government like volunteers. A "masterpiece of exquisite Indian design and workmanship" is how the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is described on its website. A federal lawsuit has accused a large Hindu temple in New. Nope. 3. Kakalec said that the situation was a "labor trafficking" case" and that the workers were "constantly monitored" with dozens of cameras and threatened with fines for breaking rules. ), and finally trusting in the durable comfort zone of the party line.. This is the only Hindu temple in . In that process, we need specialized artisans, Mr. Joshi said, saying this work qualified the men for the visas. The people at the top get rich by exploiting everyone beneath them in the name of God, the Guru, L. Ron Hubbard, or whatever the Deity is. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart! To explore the site, enjoy the video below. Wray responds to FBI critiques over Hunter laptop, Trump raid, Jan 6: We're 'on the American people's side' Wray also responded to criticisms over the arrest of a pro-life activist recently . Religious workers in America are exempt from secular workplace protections as they are classed as volunteers and not employees. Phil Murphys Covid-19 response, using the bulk of their time during a 2 1/2-hour budget hearing to tear into the administrations management of outbreaks at nursing homes, its economic reopening guidance and limited public transparency. They were brought to the United States on religious visas, or R-1 visas temporary visas used for clergy and lay religious workers such as missionaries and presented to the U.S. government as volunteers, according to the claim. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Senate Democrats Jack Barnes, former U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo, NJAIJ's Viri Martinez. But the compensation board offered her a settlement $5,000. While the temple appears complete, Eyewitness News is told that these workers were part of various ongoing construction projects. "There was a sense of invasion, that sense of loss of privacy when something like this happened to us," Srinivasa Sunkari, a Board member for the Brazos Valley Shri Omkarnath Temple said. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents raided a temple in New Jersey Tuesday after allegations that a Hindu sect lured hundreds of low-caste men from India to work on the building's construction for about $1 per hour under grueling conditions, numerous sources reported. Inside Newarks affordable housing crisis, $15M in rent, utilities assistance coming to [Essex Countys] tenants, Bayonne council pres. A Hindu temple in the US state of Texas has been raided by burglars who stole some of the valuables from the premises, leaving the Indian community in a state of shock, according to a media. 4. The Catholic Church fought for over 20 years in its refusal to turn over internal records of pedophile priests sexually molesting boys. The US Governments indifferent and laissez-faire approach to the intrinsic religious racism in America was challenged in the 1982 court case Bob Jones University v. The United States. While these groups are anti-Government and racist, they nevertheless enjoy tax exemption and other religious protections. There are so many intractable problems created by the First and Second Amendments. The only hope that I have is that people will see organizations such as these two (and more) for what they are and that as a people we will unmask these frauds, deprive them of oxygen, prosecute where warranted and move on to better things. That represents a 64% decline from the first week of April, when 340,000 first doses were administered. Photo: CBS Philly. Religions are not held to account for taking cash donations in exchange for claims that miracle healings, wealth, abundance, and happiness will flow if one sews a seed faith offering. The Akshardham Hindu Temple used American R1 religious worker visas to bring in workers from India to the temple worksite in a rural part of New Jersey. You can unsubscribe at any time and can contact us here. And you are using your skills to tell TRUTH. If you study religious litigation in America, the same type of lawsuits are filed over and over and the courts almost always refuse to interfere. New Jerseys 78 higher education institutions will be splitting the the states share federal grant money between all public four-year universities, private colleges, county colleges, vocational technical school districts and degree-granting religious institutions. I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to expand on your thoughts. The former friends and colleagues are split over Johnson, with Paul accusing Huttle of using her experience with Johnson for her own political leverage, trying to undermine the off-the-line contenders campaign. Sheelagh McNeill contributed research. Scientology recruits poor people as labor for its Sea Org from Mexico, Eastern Europe, Siberia, and many other impoverished places. I appreciate you bringing something to our attention that would otherwise quickly sink in the din of news noise. It says such R-1 visas are religious visas available to "those who minister or work in religious vocations or occupations" and are members of the religious denomination sponsoring the visa holders. The BAPS temple opened in Robbinsville, N.J., in 2014 and is still under construction. ***** Hicks also defended his departments soaring overtime costs before the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, OFFICIALS STRUGGLE TO INTRODUCE NEW JERSEYANS TO NOVEL CONCEPT OF BRIBERY With NJ COVID vaccine goal at risk, 'bribe people' an option to get more shots in arms, by The Records Scott Fallon and Kristie Kattafi: New Jersey's daily rate of COVID vaccinations has plummeted so much in recent weeks that it's casting doubt on whether Gov. Extending it further, Why is David Duke and company always shown with a cross of some form or other? A lawsuit filed in federal court Tuesday alleges the builders of a New Jersey Hindu temple considered to be one the largest in the United States lured workers from India, worked them. Deal public beach access: Would new parking rules keep out those who don't live here? She also writes about immigration. The sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. confirmed agents had been on the temple grounds but would not comment further. Awe-inspiring Hindu temple in New Jersey The temple complex sits off Route 130 in Robbinsville, intended as a pillar of the large Hindu population in New Jersey. First Amendment religious protections and Supreme Court rulings were used to enforce slavery and racism in America for hundreds of years. The problem is not the system but unscrupulous bad actors. Stafford school board will not renew contract of nurse who rebelled against mask mandate, A year living in a hotel with 3 kids. Lawyers for the men, however, said they did manual labor on the site, working nearly 13 hours a day lifting large stones, operating cranes and other heavy machinery, building roads and storm sewers, digging ditches and shoveling snow, all for the equivalent of about $450 per month. The U.S. Department of Education announced Tuesday that more than $36 billion in emergency grants will go out to public and private colleges under the American Rescue Plan Act for emergency financial aid for students and funding for institutions. Instead of changing gun ownership laws, the US Government deemed the Branch Davidians fully legal exercise of US gun laws to be terroristic in nature. They were paid $50 in cash, with the rest deposited in accounts in India, the complaint said. 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The Mormons enjoyed religious tax exemption even as they had a racist Whites Only priesthood. Inside Newarks affordable housing crisis, $15M in rent, utilities assistance coming to [Essex Countys] tenants, Bayonne council pres. You will now start receiving email updates. The workers have been falsely brought to the U.S. on visas for religious workers and volunteers since May 2011, the lawsuit claims. Maley and his running mates, Commissioner Robert Lewandowski and local business owner Morgan Robinson, a political newcomer, faced challenges from Democratic Municipal Chairwoman Kate Delaney, county committeeman Bill Johnson and local education advocate Jen Rossi The loss is a major blow to progressive opponents of South Jersey powerbroker George Norcross., DONT DRINK THE WATERFORD Foodborne illness sickens 60% of N.J. districts teachers after school luncheon, by NJ Advance Medias Jeff Goldman: A New Jersey school district has shifted to remote learning for the next two weeks after 60% of its teachers became ill due to a 'foodborne illness' they contracted at a staff luncheon last week, officials said. wont support eminent domain, wants to negotiate BMC deal with HRH, Former Newark Archbishop sexually abused 5-year-old in church rectory, lawsuit claims, Swift action kept outbreak of COVID variant in NJ facility from spreading into community, How the closed pipeline and truck driver shortages could affect N.J. gas pumps, N.J.s famous Delaware River hot dog man, Greg Crance, dead at 56 from COVID, View all our political and policy newsletters, View the Full New Jersey Playbook Archives . It seems to me that hucksterism is a phenomenon that stretches across the religious and secular realms alike. These constructed religious legal protections amount to an unfair advantage which benefits monotheists, polytheists, and other religionists while excluding secular persons. Phil Murphy will meet his goal to fully vaccinate 4.7 million adults by the end of June. In 2017, a 17-year-old boy who was among the groups of religious volunteers who have helped on the construction project died after a fall. THE CHURCH Former Newark Archbishop sexually abused 5-year-old in church rectory, lawsuit claims, by NJ Advance Medias Kelly Heyboer: A former Newark resident went to the Archdiocese of Newark last year with an explosive claim. According to journalist Tyler Bridges, The Times-Picayune obtained a copy and traced its provenance to Duke, who compiled the content from womens self-help magazines. Ill have to look more into this. The New Jersey case, Mr. Werner said, could be compared to instances of severe worker exploitation seen overseas. The outer beauty of the temple conceals the evil within perpetrated by the leaders. Chidiac did not immediately return messages. With nearly 400,000 Indian-born residents, New Jersey has one of the largest Indian immigrant populations in the country. Scientology is also willing to spend enormous amounts of parishioner money to fight it out in court. BAPS describes itself as a spiritual, volunteer-driven organization dedicated to improving society through individual growth by fostering the Hindu ideals of faith, unity and selfless service.. Kakaleck says her clients worked long hours without days off between 2018 and 2020, performing hard manual labor and earned about $1.20 an hour. The Mormons have amassed >$150 billion in cash and there is no requirement for them to spend it. The FBI would not confirm what action they took on the property. How can the US Government outlaw these groups without violating their First and Second Amendment protections? They also issued astatementsaying, We were first made aware of the accusations this morning, we are taking them very seriously and are thoroughly reviewing the issues raised., Also read: Somnath, Akshardham & now Ram Mandir Gujarat family designing temples for 15 generations, Subscribe to our channels on YouTube & Telegram. But I cant be the only one who thought this statement odd coming on the heels of months of domestic terror from the far left that we were supposed to accept or even embrace as mostly peaceful protests. Peaceful assemblies which somehow destroyed countless livelihoods, cost over $2 billion and resulted in numerous injuries and deaths? The US Government butchered the Branch Davidians in Waco in 1993 because the group owned weapons and had a stockpile of ammunition. The Mormon treasure horde is only known about due to a whistleblower. The New Jersey temple is meant to be the crown jewel in BAPSs growing number of American places of worship. The parallels to scientology are stunning. He ducked all of it, apparently preferring a fire-blanket opening statement to suffice, or others to write his words for him (or not! We can both agree that there are a number of bad actors in religion. Ah, so not only is your Aryan (if they can define that) Princess supposed to cook, clean, rear children, help with the crops, and respond to all your desires, she also has to learn Kegels. 1. As of 2021, only 2% of Utah is Black. ***** Why is this even allowed? QUOTE OF THE DAY: This lady simply introduced me because she knew me because of my role in the Legislature. Details of the groups spending has not been previously reported. "They were told that if they left that they could be subject to being picked up by the police," Kakaleck said. The Mormons excluded Black men from its Priesthood until 1978. 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