A new piece of legislation introduced in the House of Representatives aims to condemn “Hinduphobia,” a term used by some Hindu Americans to describe what they say are burgeoning anti-Hindu sentiments in the United States.
The bill was introduced by Democratic Rep. Sri Thanedar, an Indian American from Michigan. At a news conference Monday, he described what he feels is a growing threat to Indian Americans who practice Hinduism, the world’s third-largest religion.
“Today I am seeing in the United States a substantial increase of attacks on Hinduism, a lot of misinformation being circulated,” he said. “Having practiced Hinduism, having grown in a Hindu household, I know what Hinduism is. It is a very peaceful religion … It is not a religion that attacks others, it is not a religion that is aggressive against others.”
Thanedar’s resolution enumerates several points, including that the House celebrates the contributions of Hindus to the U.S. and condemns “Hinduphobia” and anti-Hindu bigotry.
But progressive Hindu and South Asians groups are expressing concern about this legislation, saying that, while anti-Hinduism sentiment does exist, the term “Hinduphobia” was invented by the Indian far-right to shut down criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
“In many cases, instances of anti-Indian sentiment, general xenophobia, or even mistaken Islamophobia are misleadingly labeled as ‘Hinduphobic’ regardless of whether or not there is any evidence to support claims of religious motivation,” Hindus for Human Rights, a progressive civil rights organization, said a news release. “Even worse, claims of ‘Hinduphobia’ have routinely been weaponized to smear anyone — including self-identifying Hindus — who criticizes the current Indian government.”
At his news conference, Thanedar described the Hindu community as “inclusive” and said it’s been deliberately misrepresented by mainstream media. He also said Hindu places of worship have been targeted, referring to instances of graffiti on two California Hindu temples reading “Modi is a terrorist” and including slogans that called for an independent Sikh state.
“We have experienced substantially more events of this kind in recent months, and I have a feeling that this is just the beginning,” he said. “This is just the beginning of a very coordinated attempt against this community.”
Thanedar said he doesn’t want to speculate about who is behind these attacks, but wants the FBI, the Department of Justice and local authorities to get involved.
Modi’s government is often criticized for its record on human rights, including attacks on the media and anti-Muslim legislation. It’s also been credited with propagating Hindu nationalism both in India and the diaspora.
In the U.S., Muslims and caste minorities have reported facing targeted attacks and violence for speaking out against far-right, Hindu nationalist actors that aim to make India a Hindu-dominated nation. Hindus for Human Rights said in its release that Thanedar’s resolution could shut down those conversations by painting them as “Hinduphobic.”
Really, the organization said, the core threat to Indian American immigrants in the U.S. is white nationalism.
“Though it claims to celebrate Hindu Americans and speak for our community’s interests, this resolution does not respond to real concerns about how Hindu Americans are affected by white Christian nationalism in the United States,” the release said. “Instead, it reflects a longstanding effort by the Hindu supremacist movement in the United States to divide South Asian communities.”
