Cow eviction drives American couple to India

Indo-Asian News Service, May 16, 2003
http://www.hindustantimes.com/

A US court has ordered the eviction of two “sacred cows” and other farm animals from the homes of an American couple who are part of the Hare Krishna movement, prompting them to seek asylum in India.

Steven and Linda Voith, who stay in the village of Angelica in New York state, said they were targeted because they considered cows sacred.

“We are followers of Krishna Bhaktivedanta. The cows are sacred to us. We are against cow slaughter. That’s the reason we are being targeted,” Steven said.

He said he has sought asylum in India for himself and his family, including two children adopted from India. He has written to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and India’s Ambassador to the U.S. Lalit Mansingh.

The New York Supreme Court in Allegany County passed the eviction order last week.

Attorney Raymond Bulson, who represented the village of Angelica in the case, said the Voith family did not have a valid animal permit to house cows and other farm animals and hence the litigation against them.

“For a valid animal permit to keep farm animals you need at least 10 acres of land. The rules say that. But the Voiths have only 2.5 acres,” he said.

But John Curr, the assistant director for the Western Regional Office of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said: “Steven and Linda Voith have been a target of religious persecution by the people of the village of Angelica.

“They site health and safety issues. It is ludicrous. One can see more farm animals in houses next to the Voiths, than in their own farm.”

Curr said he was in touch with the Voiths and their attorney and looking at options to appeal in higher courts and stay the injunction.

Read Another Article

High court upholds death for ex-Aum member
‘Third way’ speaks to Europe’s young Muslims

Related News Articles Topic(s): Hare Krishna Subscribe to Religion News Blog updates Subscribe to Religion News Blog [What is this?] Get Religion News Blog's headline by Email [What is this?] Follow Religion News Blog at Twitter Find Related Information Use our custom search engines to find additional research resources on religions and cults: ApologeticsSearch.com: Search for apologetics articles, books, videos, and other research resources across 135 Christian apologetics websites and blogs. CounterCultSearch.com: Search for information about (religious) cults, cult-like organizations, and cults experts -- as well as paranormal-, New Age, and pseudoscientific claims -- across 260+ websites, blogs and forums dedicated to cult research, spiritual abuse, ex-cult counseling & support. Find Related Religion & Spirituality Books at Amazon.com Hare Krishna Possibly related... or Most Popular Religion News Articles Kent Hovind: Evangelist arrested on federal charges Beast’s real mark devalued to ’616′ Muslim Woman Gives Sex Advice on Arab TV Michael Jackson Confirms Conversion to Islam Kent Hovind, ‘Dr. Dino,’ guilty on all counts The fall and rise of Carlton Pearson Search False prophet Harold Camping sets another date for rapture: May 21, 2011 Watch the film Theo van Gogh was murdered for Kent Hovind — Dr. Dino — sentenced to 10 years in prison

Search Religion News Blog