Liberating Repro Health Interfaith Morning Meditation - 2 Years After Roe Reversal
On Monday, June 24, we gathered virtually at 8 a.m. ET for a contemplative gathering over Zoom to culminate the Liberating Repro Health Weekend of Witness, marking the second anniversary of the Dobbs decision. This profound event, hosted by Faith in Public Life, brought together a diverse spectrum of faith leaders who shared meditations, reflections, creative recitations, and prayers aimed to inspire, uplift, and galvanize our hearts, minds, and spirits for our collective journey ahead to protect and expand the legal frameworks, positive cultural narratives, and grounded faith wisdom necessary to achieve comprehensive reproductive health and equity.
The notable roster of speakers included:
Jeanne Lewis, CEO, Faith in Public Life
Tarunjit Singh Butalia, Founding Trustee, Sikh Council for Interfaith Relations
Rev. Dr. Quardricos Driskell, Pastor, Historic Beulah Baptist Church
Dr. Emily Reimer-Barry, Professor of Theology & Religious Studies, University of San Diego
Sunita Viswanath, Executive Director, Hindus for Human Rights
Yasmin Yonis, Chaplain, Muslims for Just Futures
Our Executive Director, Sunita Viswanath, delivered a powerful speech that highlighted the intersection of faith, justice, and reproductive rights. Below is the text of her speech:
I am Sunita Viswanath, cofounder of Hindus for Human Rights, an organization advocating against hatred and polarization in the United States, building on the deeply Hindu and universal tenets of Shanti (Peace), Nyaya (Justice), and Satya (Truth).
While some Hindu teachings oppose the right to abortion, such as the Atharva Veda which states that “a greater sinner does not exist than the one who practices abortion,” there are many other teachings that call for the health and wellbeing of all, and freedom of choice. Shanti mantras, or peace prayers, that are regularly chanted and derive from Vedas and Upanishads, include lines like, “may no one suffer” and “may all be happy, may all be healthy.” For progressive Hindus like me, this includes the health, happiness, and wellbeing of those who would be harmed by abortion bans. Furthermore, a core pillar of Hindu thought is the freedom to make up your own mind – indeed, the right to choose. The oldest Hindu text, the Rig Veda, includes the line, "Aano bhadra krtavo yantu vishwatah" (Meaning: Let noble thoughts come to me from all directions). And in the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna tells Prince Arjuna: It is better to do your own dharma (which is religious or ethical duty) imperfectly than someone else’s dharma perfectly.
In welcome news for those of us who want to protect the right to abortion, two years after overturning Roe in one fell swoop, the US Supreme Court this month declined to limit access to a widely used abortion medication, mifepristone. However, three states—Kansas, Missouri, and Idaho—will continue to fight this case to limit access to mifepristone at the state level. Weeks after moving to reclassify mifepristone as a “dangerous” substance, Louisiana has now become the first state where the Ten Commandments will be displayed in “large, easily readable font” from kindergarten to state-funded universities. Louisiana is now expected to push through anti-transgender legislation.
White Christian Nationalists are leading the fight against abortion rights and many other of our constitutional rights. However, it is important to acknowledge a rightward shift in many minority communities, including among Hindu Americans. In fact, there is a growing far-right collusion between White Christian nationalists and far-right proponents of Hindutva or Hindu supremacy. Not many know that Steve Bannon chairs the Hindu Republican Council, and far-right Hindus and Indians were part of the January 6th, 2021 attack on the Capitol. My organization, Hindus for Human Rights, mobilizes Hindu Americans to take a stand against the anti-human rights and anti-democratic force of Hindutva or Hindu supremacy—as well as Christian nationalism, and all religious extremism and nationalism, and forces of hate and bigotry—which are choking and polarizing our communities.
I share a quote from my favorite civil rights leader, Bayard Rustin: “My activism did not spring from my being gay, or for that matter from my being black. Rather, it is rooted fundamentally in my Quaker upbringing. And the values that were instilled in me by my grandparents who reared me. Those values are based on the concept of a single human family and the belief that all members of that family are equal.”
Bayard Rustin was arguing from a place of faith for a more united and inclusive way of being in the world. This is no different from the invitation in the oldest Hindu text, the Rig Veda, to “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,” a sacred global family. Which is no different from King’s “Beloved Community.”
Our country is being fractured in the wake of the fall of Roe two years ago today. That fracture is being intensified in these months leading up to general elections. The best we can do—and MUST do—is to bridge, unite, and love.
I end with a meditation for peace and non-harm. Lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu — may all beings, everywhere, be happy and free.