Escalation Is Not Strategy: Hindus for Human Rights Calls for Immediate Halt to U.S.-Iran-Israel Hostilities
Hindus for Human Rights calls on the United States, Iran, and Israel to halt their escalating hostilities and instead commit to a diplomatic resolution to the conflict between Israel and Iran.
We are deeply troubled by the United States’ recent bombing of Iran—an act that not only risks wider regional conflict but also recycles the language and logic of the U.S.’s 21st century misadventures in the Middle East. The strike reportedly targeted nuclear facilities and dramatically raised the stakes of U.S. military involvement in an already volatile region.
In retaliation, Iran launched multiple missiles at an American military base in Qatar. We are already seeing this conflagration spiral out of control. And as always, civilians bear the brunt of these violent actions.
We are told this is a “pause,” a strategic moment in which Iran is expected to sue for peace. But history warns us otherwise. From “shock and awe” to “mission accomplished,” these so-called pauses have rarely meant peace for the people most affected. They have too often marked the beginning of quagmires with no clear objectives, no exit strategies, and no accountability.
As people of conscience, committed to the Hindu values of ahimsa (nonviolence), justice, and interdependence, we reject the idea that strength lies in preemptive strikes or unilateral shows of force. We reject the notion that war is a pathway to justice, or that the language of human rights can be used to justify invasions.
We join members of Congress from both parties who have questioned the legality of this action, taken without Congressional authorization, and who have reminded the nation that decisions of war are not the purview of the executive. The U.S. Constitution gives only the American people—via Congress—the right to declare war. The President cannot act alone, especially not against the will of the people. As representatives of a significant portion of the Hindu and South Asian American community, we will continue to work with Members of Congress to prevent the U.S. from engaging in yet another senseless forever war in the Middle East.
Let us be clear: this is not a bold new strategy—it is a repetition of failed patterns, dressed in the language of deterrence and moral authority. What is being framed as decisive leadership is, in fact, an abdication of long-term moral and strategic responsibility.
As a Hindu voice for human rights, we also note with concern that India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi publicly “cautioned” Iran but has remained silent on the legality and danger of the U.S. strike itself. This silence is telling, and reflects the deeper alignment of authoritarian and militarized nationalisms across borders.
Other faith and advocacy organizations have already sounded the alarm—rightly warning that the U.S. entry into this conflict will escalate, not resolve, violence. We join them in this urgent call.
We call on all people of faith and conscience to speak out now. The cost of silence is too high, and the lessons of history are too clear. Let us not look back and say we saw it coming—but did nothing.