One of the most chilling and graphic scenes in the movie "The Godfather" was when a Hollywood producer who wouldn't play ball with Don Corleone found the head of his prized thoroughbred horse severed and tucked under the sheets of his bed.

An equally grisly scene played out in Monroe County in March when a severed cow's head was found on the property of the Lakshmi Cow and Animal Sanctuary at 163 Possinger Drive, near Reeders in Jackson Township.The sanctuary has been in its new location a little more than a month. Before that, it was located at 1515 Ridge Road in Upper Mount Bethel Township, Northampton County, where there had never been any incidents.Pennsylvania State Police trooper Carrie Gula, stationed at the Fern Ridge barracks, branded the incident "ethnic intimidation, criminal trespass and harassment." Gula said the victim's religion is Hinduism."In this religion, the cow is a symbol of life and may never be killed," she said.We find this cowardly act unworthy of a citizen in a pluralistic country such as ours. We live in a society which fosters freedom of religion as one of its underpinning principles in the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution.We join Rajan Zed, president of the Nevada-based Universal Society of Hinduism, in calling on Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf and Monroe County officials to condemn this brazen crime and to contact leaders of the Hindu community "to reassure them" that they are welcome residents and that this isolated incident is not emblematic of the vast majority of Monroe residents.The founder of the sanctuary, Sankar Sastri, said he hopes that what occurred was a prank and not something darker and more dire. Sastri said he found the head of the cow, which is viewed as a sacred animal in the Hindu religion, just outside the gate of his living quarters. The cow apparently was shot to death before the head was severed, police said."I found it a shocking, horrible and hateful act," said Sastri, who noted that the cow was not from those in residence at the sanctuary.Zed agreed, saying that such a signal of intimidation was puzzling, especially since the purpose of the Lakshmi Cow Sanctuary is to keep the ancient Hindu traditions alive by providing protective shelter for the cows.Zed explained that the cow is worshipped by Hindus all over the world. In Hindu scripture, the cow is deemed not slayable. Lord Krishna is known as the protector of cows. There is a belief that the cow was created the same day as Brahma, the Hindu God, solidifying the cow's holy nature. Mahatma Gandhi, the famous Indian activist who fought for and helped win India's independence from England in 1947, once said, "I yield to none in my worship of the cow."A source close to the investigation told me that police suspect that someone in the Jackson Township neighborhood may have been unhappy with the relocation of the cow sanctuary to its new location and wanted to send a message of intimidation.But why? Sastri and his small staff want to help cows enjoy a peaceful coexistence with nature. He said that they do not bother anyone, and they do not try to foist their religious beliefs on anyone. As for the animals, cows are very peaceful, docile and innocent creatures, he said.All too often, stupid people who haven't a clue what it is like to live in a diverse society take it upon themselves to decide who should and who should not live among them.Sastri said he is considering installing cameras to boost security.In the meantime, we recommend that people of good will throughout the Times News circulation area join with us in condemning this display of ignorance and intemperance.We also urge anyone who has information about this evil act to contact the state police at Fern Ridge at 570-646-2271.By Bruce Frassinelli |

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