Throughout history, Hindus have endured prejudice, hatred, discrimination, and persecution at the hands of Islamic invaders and later British colonial powers. Despite their rich culture, history, and contributions to humanity's progress, the community has been persistently vilified by those unable to accept that, while many ancient religions and civilizations have vanished, Hindu Dharma has remained resilient. True to its 'Sanatan' nature, it has withstood invasions, colonizations, and subjugations, emerging stronger. In the most recent manifestation of this hatred, American racists and Christian supremacists are exploiting the H1-B visa debate to further attack and demean Hinduism and Hindus.
Racist attacks, Hinduphobia, and targeting of India as a Hindu collectivity | Opindia
The Origins of the H-1B Visa Debate
The rhetoric of American racists and Christian supremacists towards India and Indian Americans has often carried a tone of disdain for the Hindu identity. However, the ongoing discourse, which began with the controversy over the alleged ‘misuse’ of H-1B visas—allowing highly skilled foreign professionals to work in the U.S.—has revealed a broader hostility toward the Hindu community and its homeland, India. This discourse was ignited by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s announcement that Indian-American Sriram Krishnan would become Senior Policy Advisor for Artificial Intelligence at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The controversy began with Laura Loomer, a notorious conspiracy theorist, who called Krishnan’s appointment ‘disappointing’ and made derogatory comments labeling Indians as ‘third-world invaders.’ This sparked a widespread racial, ethnic, and religiously charged online attack against Hindus.
Cow Dung Jibes, Iconoclastic Depictions of Hindu Gods, and the Normalization of Hinduphobia in America
In 2019, Adil Ahmad Dar, a 22-year-old Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist from Kakapora, Jammu and Kashmir, carried out a suicide attack by crashing his explosive-laden vehicle into a bus carrying CRPF personnel, resulting in the martyrdom of 40 soldiers. Before the bombing, Dar recorded a video mocking Hindus with jokes about Gaumutra (cow urine), making it clear that the jihadis were not just targeting the Indian state but Hindus specifically.
While some factions within India's Islamo-leftist ecosystem have normalized such Hinduphobic remarks, a similar trend is emerging among American Christian supremacists who, under the guise of ‘America First,’ are now using the same cow-related insults in discussions about ‘Indian immigrants.’
A video from March 2024, featuring Stew Peters—who claims to know India well—has gone viral. In the video, Peters refers to Indians as "dot-headed cockroaches and parasites" and spreads hateful and false stereotypes about their customs, such as the claim that they smear cow dung on their faces and brush their teeth with it. These baseless accusations are based on isolated incidents, presented as though they represent a national norm, while America is depicted as a utopia—one that could be achieved by eliminating the 'dot-headed' Hindu Indians.
A "Pascal" posted an image of Maa Kali in her fierce form, accompanied by a quote from 'Saint' Francis Xavier: "All the invocations of the pagans are detestable to God, for all their gods are devils."
It is not surprising that American Christian fanatics quote Francis Xavier, as both share a mutual disdain for non-Christians, especially the polytheistic religions they label as ‘pagans’ or ‘heathens.’ It is important to remember that Xavier's legacy is tainted by his role in the Inquisition, the destruction of Hindu idols and temples, and the forced conversions of local Hindu populations in the Indian subcontinent.
Another person posted an image of Maa Kali with the caption, “America wasn’t created for people who worship demons.”
Taylor Marshall, who also considers Yoga to be 'demonic,' shared images of Maa Kali and Lord Ganesh along with the following message: “How are you a “high IQ engineer from India when these are your “gods”? You worship cringe superheroes and supervillains from an anciently scripted Marvel movie and call it a religion.”
In 1911, the New York Tribune featured an image of Maa Kali with the headline, “Oriental ‘Mystics’ are gathering in Force for Invasion of America.” What was referred to as ‘oriental mystics’ back then is now labeled as engineers. The animosity towards Hindus among the anti-Hindu faction in America has only intensified over time.
American Christian Supremacists View India as a Hindu Collective and Advocate for Halting Hindu Migration to Preserve 'Christian Land'
One prominent aspect of this anti-India discourse is the selective targeting of Hindus and Hinduism. American racists and Hindu-hating Christian supremacists have refrained from criticizing other religious groups in India, such as Muslims and Christians, in the same manner. This biased disdain for Hinduism reveals a specific animosity toward polytheistic, idol-worshipping Hindus, and has little to do with genuine debates on H1-B visa policies.
It's not simply about job competition or the belief that Indian immigrants are ‘taking’ jobs from Americans. Instead, it involves the exclusion of Hindus based on their ethnicity and religion. The surge in anti-Hindu hate speech and derogatory content on X (formerly Twitter) illustrates how Christian supremacists and the racist factions within the MAGA movement are using the ‘America First’ rhetoric to express their longstanding hatred for the Hindu community.
Hinduphobia in America
The criticism from American Christian supremacists toward India and Hindus is a clear example of Hinduphobia. This includes hate speech that mocks Hindu beliefs, contributing to the dehumanization and delegitimization of Hindus—such as derogatory terms like "cow piss drinkers" and "cow worshippers"—as well as hate directed at India, perceived as a Hindu collective.
According to the Hinduphobia Tracker, Hinduphobia is defined as “any action and/or speech, written or spoken (academic, institutional, political and/or random), violence and/or discriminatory action/attitude, which is born out of hatred, fear, prejudice, animosity, hostility and/or bias against Hindus (people following Sanatan Dharma and/or various sampradayas of Hindus and/or various Panths under the Dharmic fold), as individuals, groups of a class of people, the faith they profess (Hinduism), their cultures, traditions, forms and methods of worship, scriptures, tenets and civilizational values and beliefs. Hinduphobia can be directed towards individuals and/or their property, toward the Hindu community as a whole, Hindu institutions, Hindu religious facilities (including temples and temporary religious structures), symbols of the Hindu faith, the native and civilizational land of Hindus conceived as a Hindu collectivity owing to religious prejudice, animosity, hostility and hatred.”
Is there a Rush of Hindus to America to 'Invade' the 'Christian Nation'?
Laura Loomer, along with several members of the anti-Hindu "America for Christians" group, has been causing a stir over the fictional idea that Indians (a term they use interchangeably with Hindus) are attempting to use H1-B visas to "invade" the US, take American jobs, and displace Christian Americans. However, this claim is far from accurate.
According to a Pew Research Center analysis, Christians make up 47% of the global migrant population, Muslims 29%, Hindus 5%, Buddhists 4%, and Jews 1%. While there are around 1 billion Hindus worldwide, only 5% are international migrants. As Stephanie Krammer from Pew Research explains, this is because "Hindus are so concentrated in India, and people born in India are unlikely to leave."
Despite India being home to 94% of the world’s Hindus, it is the origin of only 57% of global Hindu migrants, as reported by Pew Research in August 2024.
As Pew Research says, “Hindus are underrepresented among international migrants compared with their share of the global population (15%)”, ne might question why a community so eager to 'invade' the West, especially Christian-majority countries, has such a low migration rate.
Compare this with the situation of Indian Christians, who make up only about 2% of the Indian population, yet account for 16% of those who have emigrated. Similarly, Indian Muslims constitute 15% of the population, but 33% of them now reside abroad.
In contrast, Hindus are significantly less likely to leave India and migrate elsewhere, largely due to their strong cultural and religious ties. However, migration to the US is highest among Hindus, most of whom are highly educated, successful professionals. Despite this, Hindus often face hate, particularly based on religious grounds. It seems that the expectation is for Hindus to either convert to Christianity, adapt to the 'civilized' standards imposed by American Christian supremacists, work in subjugated conditions, and live humbly in the US. All this while Hindu Americans have proven to be a peaceful, loyal, and highly contributory community, particularly in fields like technology, furthering the growth of the United States.
Contrary to the narrative pushed by some American racists about job displacement, Indian and Hindu immigrants typically don’t ‘steal’ jobs from Americans. Instead, they enhance the country's economy, foster job creation, and help address skill shortages in sectors like technology. Indians are often favored due to their high levels of education in STEM, proficiency in English, strong work ethic, and cultural compatibility in corporate environments. Additionally, H-1B visas align with the needs of US industries.
Moreover, immigrants also generate jobs through entrepreneurship and consumer spending, which spurs overall economic growth. In fact, immigrants are more likely than native-born Americans to start businesses, further supporting job creation. A 2020 Pew Research report suggests that many Americans believe immigrants—both legal and illegal—fill jobs that US citizens are unwilling to take.
The Origins of Christian Hatred Toward Hindus: Terms like 'Uncivilized', 'Demon-Worshippers', and 'Heathens'
The common stereotypes surrounding hygiene, caste, cows, and so on are often used to imply that these issues are deeply rooted in Indian culture, which some equate entirely with Hindu culture, disregarding the country's vast religious and cultural diversity. Recently, Hinduphobia has seen a rise in the United States. Reports by OpIndia have highlighted several instances, including attacks on Hindu temples, attempts to weaponize caste to target the Hindu community, and how DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs are being used to instill hatred against Brahmins among the American public.
A pressing question arises: Why are American Christian supremacists focusing their criticism on Hindus, masquerading it as criticism of Indians or Indian immigrants? The answer lies in their view of Christianity as a superior and 'civilized' religion, contrasting it with non-Christian faiths, which they perceive as primitive, foreign, and even demonic. This mindset, though deeply disrespectful to other religions, especially non-Abrahamic ones, has fueled Christian supremacist ideologies throughout history. From the European colonial campaigns during the ‘Age of Discovery’ to present-day racist attacks on Hindus in the US, this belief system continues to drive efforts to marginalize Hindus and limit their influence.
The disdain for ‘pagan polytheistic religions’ among white Christian supremacists is not new; it originates from Christian religious texts and their historical interpretation by those who see themselves as 'civilized' and 'superior' by virtue of their faith. This view has endured since the 1493 papal bull Inter Caetera, which gave Spain and Portugal the authority to colonize, convert, and even enslave non-Christians. From British colonial times to today, Christian supremacists have belittled the deities and traditions of polytheistic faiths, including Hinduism, considering these communities as 'uncivilized.'
This worldview continues to divide the world into three groups: Christians—those who have embraced the gospel; infidels—Muslims and Jews who reject the gospel; and pagans or polytheists—those who have either not encountered the gospel or ignored it. The modern concept of sovereign nation-states has roots in the legacy of the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia, or rather, its secularized version. In his book India That Is Bharat, Supreme Court lawyer J Sai Deepak contends that the contemporary standard of civilization stems from this Westphalian mindset. Thus, when a nation is labeled ‘civilized,’ it can often be seen as a secular way of designating it a ‘Christian nation.’
As the esteemed scholar Gerrit Gong stated in The Standard of “Civilisation” in International Society, “Paralleling the expansion of the European international system, the international society of European states-those countries which had European civilization in common-also began to extend its boundaries. Interaction with non-Christian and non-European countries underscored the international society’s need for a universally acceptable identity. Thus, in extending its domain, the international society which had earlier identified itself with Christendom and then with Europe came gradually to characterize itself as ‘civilized’.”
Since 'Hindu India,' despite still grappling with the remnants of colonialism, has remained grounded in its Hindu religious and cultural roots rather than attempting to conform to the Western Christian ideals of being 'civilized,' it is often perceived by Western Christian supremacists as 'uncivilized.' They label Hindus as 'demon-worshipping' heathens and categorize them as 'third-worlders.'
The American racists and Christian supremacists harbor disdain for the Hindu community, which has historically been peaceful and has contributed significantly to the growth of the United States. It's striking how these Hindu-haters conveniently attribute the success of Hindu Americans to the country's 'liberal' policies rather than their intelligence or talent, and they often blame the wrongdoings involving Hindus or Indians, both in India and the US, on their religious beliefs. There's a discernible pattern: In the US, a debate about H1-B visas sparked a hate campaign targeting Hindus and Hindu India, yet no such animosity was directed at Indian Muslims or Christians. In Bangladesh, a student-led movement to overthrow a democratically elected government quickly devolved into the persecution of Hindus. Why is it that so many conflicts that initially have no religious angle end up being marked by hate, mockery, and violence toward Hindus?
It is equally ironic that Christian supremacists complain loudly about Indians (meaning Hindus) 'taking over' their jobs and resources, but remain silent about US-based Christian missionaries entering India on tourist visas to convert Hindus, Sikhs, tribals, and other communities to Christianity, often under the guise of financial incentives or miraculous cures for ailments. Earlier reports from OpIndia highlighted how a US-based Christian conversion group, Joshua Project, has been actively converting around 24 lakh Indians to Christianity every year.
Conclusion
The racist and Hinduphobic rhetoric from American Christian supremacists is clearly an extension of the age-old mindset of 'civilized' versus 'heathens' and 'superior' versus 'sub-human.' The overt demonization of Indians and Hindus mirrors the centuries-old disparaging view of polytheists as spiritually and culturally 'inferior' to Christianity, which Christian supremacists regard as the exclusive source of spiritual and moral authority. Because of their monotheistic exclusivism, these extremists scorn those they label as 'demon-worshipping pagan polytheists.' However, it becomes tragically ironic when these same individuals criticize Islamists using violent means to assert the supremacy of their own faith.
The anti-Hindu and anti-India rhetoric raises concerns about the potential exploitation of Hindu cultural identity, social exclusion, and the perpetuation of prejudice and hatred towards Hindu Americans. This animosity isn't about immigration, H1-B visas, or job representation in the U.S.; it stems from the success and resilience of highly skilled Indians—especially Hindus—who come to the U.S., thrive, and preserve their cultural and religious roots. Meanwhile, many average Americans struggle with determining their gender identity or debating whether to fly the American or Palestinian flag.
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