US state's Diwali gift: Now Hindus can freely display religious symbols
Hindus in US's Nevada would now be allowed to celebrate Diwali with decoration of religious symbols such as toran and other religious door displays, as Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo signed a bill, SB 201, into law. The law will come into effect on October 1, while the festival will be celebrated in the same month.The governor on Thursday signed Senate Bill 201, protecting the right to religious door displays, such as the Hindu toran and Jewish mezuzah, according to an advocacy group, Hindu American Foundation (HAF).advertisementThe bill was a joint initiative between HAF and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), two of US's largest Hindu American and Jewish American advocacy organisations, HAF said in a statement.
It was introduced by Senators Pazina, Neal, Flores, Scheible, and Krasner, and Assemblymembers Roth and Nguyen. Per the bill, religious displays in dwellings that are no larger than 12" x 36" are permitted.NEVADA BILL SETS PRECEDENT FOR RESPECTFUL HANDLING OF RELIGIOUS DISPLAYSThe bill also set a new standard by mandating respectful handling of religious displays during home maintenance."Unlike similar bills in other states, the Nevada bill goes further by requiring maintenance workers to store religious displays in a way that preserves their sanctity until they can be safely returned after maintenance is complete," the statement read.Expressing his happiness, HAF Managing Director Samir Kalra said, "This bill is a significant win for Nevada Hindus because it ensures residents' right not only to observe their Hindu faith unencumbered, but also to bless their homes and everyone who enters them with the display of a toran, as their faith calls them to."GRATEFUL FOR THE BIPARTISAN SUPPORT: ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUEadvertisementJolie Brislin, Desert Regional Director, Anti-Defamation League, said the law safeguards religious expression at home and is backed by bipartisan support and interfaith advocacy."Nevada Senate Bill 201 will protect all faith communities. Ensuring that individuals can display religious items on their doorways without undue restrictions allows them to freely express their faith in their homes. We are grateful for the bipartisan support in the Legislature and to our partners at the Hindu American Foundation for championing this bill," Brislin said.The bill passed the Senate on April 18, and the Assembly on May 23, according to a report in Nevada-based newspaper, The Las Vegas Review-Journal.The bill aims to revise Chapter 116 of the Nevada Revised Statutes to address issues related to limitations placed by homeowners' associations and rental agreements.The main provision of SB 201 prevents association executive boards and unit owners who rent or lease their units from banning the display of religious items in spaces exclusively occupied by owners or residents.
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