Silver Wolf
High Priest of Nothing
What do ISCKON say about his views on Hitler and Africans?
I think this is really scary, especially since Bhakti has become so popular again lately.
My temple sometimes have joined events with a Bhakti group, they are not ISCKON but they do write that they are inspired by Prabhupada.
Am I too judgmental? People who are part of the Bhakti group I'm sure are not some racist Hitler supporters but still, this makes me feel very uncomfortable.
Maya
Some quotes are taken out of context. Like when Prabhupads compared Hitler and Napoleon to Kamsa and Hiranyakashipu and called them "great heroes." Kamsa and Hiranyakashipu weren't exactly known for their morality, although they could qualify as great (and I've heard they were actually great devotees of God disguised as demons.) The next line after that says that after death they are finished, forgotten, or something like that.
Prabhupada was also friendly with a Jewish Holocaust survivor, so he was not Anti-Semite, at least not racially or ethnically.
If Prabhupada admired Hitler, this may disturb you - but so what? Whether he liked Hitler or was racist to blacks was irrelevant. He kept his personal beliefs to himself and preached God conscious. To all, regardless of race or ethnicity.
Plus, as Krishna Casa said, culture plays a factor. In India, light skin is regarded as a sign of high caste, and dark skin disliked. Prabhupada was raised in that culture.