Hinduphobic Assaults by Anti-Hindu Hate Organizations: Who Are They?

Figure 1: FBI Reports of Anti-Hindu Hate Crimes by Year.

Assault on American Hindus Reported by the California Civil Rights Department

The California Civil Rights Department released the results of its year-long CA vs Hate program, revealing that for religiously motivated incidents of hate reported via the the program hotline, 23% were directed at Hindus. This amount trails incidents of anti-Jewish hate (37%) and surpasses anti-Muslim incidents (15%).

Hinduphobia comes in many forms, from outright violence to more insidious forms like gaslighting, bias, and politicization of our sacred festivals. Hinduphobia is a set of antagonistic, destructive, and derogatory attitudes and behaviors towards Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) and Hindus that may manifest as prejudice, fear, or hatred.

The complete range of Hinduphobic acts extends from microaggressions to genocide. Hinduphobic projects include the destruction and desecration of Hindu sacred spaces; aggressive and forced proselytization of Hindu populations; targeted violence towards Hindu people, community institutions, and organizations; and ethnic cleansing and genocide.

Hinduphobia, stoked by anti-Hindu hate organizations and by the leftist-Islamist-Marxist media cabal, must be mitigated. Hindu Americans must be protected from the repeated assaults by anti-Hindu hate organizations.

Congressional Briefing on Hinduphobia 

A March Congressional Briefing on Hinduphobia was held at Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. After the briefing, Congressman Shri Thanedar (D-MI) introduced House Res. 1131 to Condemn Hinduphobia and the “Attacks on Hindu Places of Worship Act.” This article takes a deep dive to explore the recent assaults on the American Hindu community by anti-Hindu hate organizations, thus propagating Hinduphobia. 

Notably, the Hinduphobic mainstream media is also flaming Hinduphobia with disingenuous disinformation and journalistic malpractice to cultivate collective ignorance, leading to Hinduphobic attacks on the Hindu community in violation of the Unruh Civil Rights Act.

Who are the Perpetrators? 

1. Assault on American Hindus by Savera, a Hinduphobic Umbrella Organization in cahoots with 130 anti-Hindu hate organizations 

Over the past five years, we American Hindus have been pilloried by anti-Hindu hate organizations, AKA pretentious social justice organizations. We are experiencing all kinds of insults and innuendos as to how we are ‘Hindu Supremacists. 

But that’s bunk! Citing only one side is disingenuously dangerous. (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Savera, a Hinduphobic umbrella organization in cahoots with 130 Hinduphobic organizations slanders Hindus. 

1. 18 Million Rising

2. AAPI Equity Alliance

3. About Face: Veterans Against the War

4. Action Center on Race & the Economy (ACRE)

5. Adalah Justice Project

6. Afghans for a Better Tomorrow

7. Alliance for South Asian Progressives in Pittsburgh (ASAPP)

8. Alternatives International 

9. Ambedkar International Center

10. Ambedkar King Study Circle

11. American Friends Service Committee

12. American Muslim Empowerment Network (AMEN)

13. American Muslim Institution, Washington, D.C.

14. American Sikh Council

15. Americans For Kashmir

16. Angry Asian Womxn

17. APEX Express

18. Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC)

19. ASATA – The Alliance of South Asians Taking Action

20. Asian American Advocacy Fund

21. Asian American Midwest Progressives

22. Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago

23. Asian Children’s Educational Fellowship 

24. Asian Law Alliance 

25. Asian Prisoner Support Committee

26. Asian Refugees United

27. Asians 4 Palestine, NYC

28. Assembly For Human Rights

29. Association of Indian Muslims of America, Washington, DC

30. Aurora Commons LLC

31. AZAAD Austin

32. Bangladeshi Americans for Political Progress (BAPP)

33. Bhim International Foundation USA

34. Boston South Asian Coalition 

35. Boston Study Group

36. CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities

37. Canadian Forum for Human Rights and Democracy in India (CFHRDI)

38. Center for Pluralism 

39. CERAS (Centre sur l’asie du sud)

40. Chicago Coalition for Human Rights in India 

41. Coalition of Seattle Indian Americans

42. Code Pink: Women for Peace

43. Dalit Solidarity Forum in the USA

44. Daraja Press

45. DesiFest 

46. Design Action Collective

47. Detention Watch Network

48. Diaspora Alliance

49. DRUM – Desis Rising Up & Moving

50. Ensaaf

51. Faith in Public Life

52. Federation of Indian American Christians in North America (FIACONA)

53. Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America

54. Forces of Renewal Southeast Asia (FORSEA)

55. Friends Committee on National Legislation

56. Friends of India, Texas

57. GABRIELA Oakland

58. Get Free Movement

59. Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation 3544 

60. Grassroots Asians Rising

61. Grassroots Global Justice Alliance

62. Great Truth

63. GreenFaith 

64. Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE)

65. Highlander Research & Education Center

66. Hindus for Human Rights

67. Human Agenda

68. The Humanism Project

69. IfNotNow

70. India Civil Watch International

71. India Coalition

72. Indian American Muslim Council

73. The Interfaith Center of New York

74. International Commission for Dalit Rights 

75. International Society for Peace and Justice 

76. Jewish Voice for Peace

77. Jews For Racial & Economic Justice (JFREJ)

78. Justice for All

79. Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (JPIC)

80. Kairos Center for Religions, Rights, and Social Justice

81. Keep Beyond

82. Lavender Phoenix

83. Lyallpur Forum

84. Maynmai

85. Movement for Black Lives (M4BL)

86. MPower Change 

87. Muslim Civic Coalition

88. Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)

89. Muslims for Just Futures

90. Muslims for Progressive Values 

91. Muslim Voices Coalition 

92. Muslim Women Kreate

93. NAACP of San Jose and Silicon Valley

94. National Lawyers’ Guild

95. New York State Council of Churches

96. NGO Federation of Nepal

97. NoHindutvaMD

98. North American Manipur Tribal Association

99. No Separate Justice

100. Peace Action, Montgomery

101. The People’s Forum

102. Poetic Justice Foundation 

103. Political Research Associates

104. Progressive Technology Project

105. Project ANAR

106. Project South 

107. Race Forward

108. Rangoli Pittsburgh

109. Religions for Peace USA

110. Resource Generation 

111. Right To The City Alliance

112. SACRED (South Asian American Coalition to Renew Democracy)

113. Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus

114. Sakhi for South Asian Women

115. San Jose Against War

116. San Jose Peace and Justice Center

117. Showing up for Racial Justice (SURJ)

118. Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund

119. Sikh Coalition

120. Sikh Council for Interfaith Relations

121. Silicon Valley, Democratic Socialists of America

122. South Asian SOAR

123. The Subcontinent Project, Northwestern University

124. The United Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society

125. Transgender Law Center

126. Twin Cities South Asia Solidarity Collective

127. University of California Collective for Caste Abolition

128. V-Day/One Billion Rising

129. World Without Genocide

130. Xicanx Institute for Teaching and Organizing

2. Assault by Senator Aisha Wahab (Fremont) in partnership with  Equality Labs and the Democratic Party of California slapped American Hindus with an Anti-Hindu Hateful Legislation (SB 403)  

Introduction of the hoax legislation CA SB 403 in February 2023 by CA Senator Aisha Wahab (Fremont), a Hinduphobic legislator in cahoots with Thenmozhi Soundararajan of the Equality Labs, who has a track record of promoting negative stereotypes about Hindus is not new. SB 403 was co-sponsored in the CA Assembly by Hinduphobic legislator Jagmeet Bains (Bakersfield). In an ideal situation, both sponsors should have reached out to the Hindu community before they agreed to sponsor the bill. And despite expressing our concerns, they refused to stop the bill.

Notably, SB 403, a targeted anti-Hindu hate legislation, was sponsored by Equality Labs (EL), Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR), Council of American Islamic Relations (CAIR), Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), and the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), Progressive Wing of the Democratic Party, with anti-Hindu Amarjit Shergill as its leader among others. Opponents of the bill in California said that since U.S. laws already ban ancestry-based discrimination, legislation of this type becomes meaningless and only serves to stigmatize the entire Hindu community with a broad brush.

The mainstream media never gave our reasons for opposing SB 403 a voice. Those reasons included:

1. Despite good optics, it would fuel discrimination rather than curtail discrimination against Indian Hindus.

2. Hindus would be falsely characterized as inherently biased against members of their own community.

3. It would target Hindus by their last names with frivolous lawsuits.

4. The Unruh Act already covered caste discrimination. A duplicitous bill was not needed. 

3. Assault on American Hindus Sundar Iyer and Raman Campella because their last names were Hindu

Of note, while we Hindus were vehemently opposing SB 403, our Hindu-American voices were silenced by the mainstream media and by the CA Legislators. The Democratic Party also betrayed the Hindu-American community by passing a Resolution in support of SB 403. Despite an intense advocacy campaign by Hindus to oppose SB 403, it sailed through the CA Legislature (Senate and Assembly). On October 7th, 2023, SB 403 was vetoed by Governor Newsom. 

American Hindu Managers at Cisco Corporation, Sundar Iyer and Raman Campella, were slapped with a hoax lawsuit by the CA Civil Rights Department (CRD) over caste discrimination because their names were Hindu. Sundar Iyer had posted in his earlier blog at Stanford University that he was a non-practicing Hindu. The Court sanctioned CRD with a fine of $ 2000, not enough.

4. Assault on American Hindus when waiting in line at the CA Board of Education to testify about the misrepresentation of Hinduism and of India in K-12 History and Social Sciences textbooks. 

In 2015, Soundararajan, along with well-known anti-Hindu activist Peter Friedrich, were seen harassing Hindu American families waiting in line at the California State Board of Education to testify about the representation of Hinduism and India in K-12 History and Social Science textbooks. She also actively sought to remove the contributions of Hindu saints from marginalized backgrounds and other positive representations of Hinduism and India in the textbooks.

Furthermore, two video montages (Parts 1 and 2) published recently by an independent, grassroots student movement called Hindu on Campus reveal palpably the depth of hatred of this group. The montages show actual footage of Equality Labs’ co-founder, Thenmozhi Soundararajan, speaking at several public appearances and training sessions, spreading blatantly hateful disinformation about Hindus and Hinduism. 

5. Assault on American Hindu Activist Milind Makwana after testifying against SB 403 at the Cupertino City Council Meeting 

 The onslaught of California’s anti-Hindu hate legislation, SB 403, led to a trauma suffered by the American Hindu community last year. Sadly, Milind Makwana, father of a seven-year-old son and a 13-year-old daughter, succumbed to a heart attack after advocating against SB 403 at the Cupertino City Council meeting in July 2023. 

The money trail revealed that SB 403 was funded by the Indian American Muslim Council [IAMC], Hindus for Human Rights [HfHR], Council of American Islamic Relations [CAIR], and the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund [SALDEF], South Asian Network (SAN) and many more.

Is the targeting of Hindus by Hinduphobic organizations intentional? Yes, of course! The Unruh Civil Rights Act (California Civil Code Section 51) already protects from discrimination in the ancestry category by all business establishments in California, including housing and public accommodations. Other State laws relating to prohibitions of discrimination based on disability include California Civil Codes Sections 54 through 55.2. 

The Equality Labs, an organization that portrays itself as a charity and civil rights organization, is a for-profit organization that sells “caste competency training,” among other things — which vilify the Hindu faith and Hindus. They deviously teach a false narrative that Hinduism is “the spiritual foundation of slavery.” Its founding director has publicly stated that “real Nazis aren’t in Germany, they’re fucking [sic] upper caste Indians” — demonizing Indians, ironically based on their religious or ancestral backgrounds and simultaneously downplaying the atrocities committed by Nazis by falsely suggesting that Hindus are the root cause of Nazi ideology and symbols. Equality Labs’s track record of promoting negative stereotypes about Hindus is not new. The AKSCUSA.org is another Hinduphobic organization masquerading as a social justice organization. For example, it recently attempted to condemn a resolution passed by the city of Cupertino to recognize and prevent Hinduphobia, including the bullying of Hindu schoolchildren. It supported the anti-Hindu hoax legislation CA SB 403, targeting Hindus and slandering ‘American Hindus’ as ‘Hindu Supremacists’ (Figure 3). 

Figure 3:  List of Hinduphobic Organizations that Opposed the City of Cupertino Resolution to Prevent Hinduphobia.

Question remains. Should these anti-Hindu hate organizations be investigated? 

6. Assault on American Hindus by co-opting Holi, a Hindu religious festival by an anti-Hindu hate organization “Hindus for Human Rights.” 

Holi has a recorded history in Hindu Sanatan Dharma for 2,500 years. Yet, it was co-opted by the Asian American Alliance and the Muslim Students Association at the recent “Holi Against Hindutva” teach-in at Oberlin College. The talk featured an anti-Hindu Islamist faculty member, Mr. Rishad Choudhury, and Mr. Pranay Somayajula, representatives of the Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR), an anti-Hindu hate organization disguised as a Hindu advocacy organization. Like an identity theft, the HfHR has a phony name, allowing it to pose as a pro-Hindu organization while harboring anti-Hindu hate. HfHR has become a danger to Hindus, like a devious assault on the “Hindu Community.” According to the widespread OSINT handle “Disinfo Lab,” HfHR was formed in 2019 by the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) and the Organization for Minorities of India (OFMI). 

Question remains. Will HfHR stop co-opting Hindu festivals?  

7. Assault on Hindutva (Hinduness) by maliciously misrepresenting Hindutva as Right-wing fascism. 

Hindutva translates to being a devout Hindu or “Hinduness.” It is defined as “the idea and practice of living a life according to Hindu teachings or even just a descriptor of being Hindu,” according to the Hindu American Foundation. Hindutva means “Hindu-ness” (in Sanskrit) and must be protected from assaults by those who seek to destroy it, such as the IAMC and the South Asia Citizens Web, among others. The “Dismantling Global Hindutva” conference sponsored by the same anti-Hindu hate groups (IAMC, HfHR, CAIR) was supported by the Hindu-hating Academia’s eighty universities within the USA. Together in cahoots, they maliciously exacerbated the mis-conflation of Hindu nationalism, with right-wing fascism – deviously encouraging people and the media to incorporate these words interchangeably, leading to Hinduphobia.

Hindutva is a more accurate descriptor because it includes the spectrum of all that is encompassed by the word “Hindu.” In contrast, “Hinduism” misrepresents the global Hindu community and its inherent goodness. The “ism” in Hinduism is a suffix used with terms to define an oppressive and discriminatory attitude or belief.” The World Hindu Congress Conference held in Bangkok in 2023 adopted a resolution embracing “Hindutva” as Sanatan Dharma’s English name in place of Hinduism. Thus, Hindus in the global diaspora should proudly say: As a Hindu, I embrace HINDUTVA. 

Question remains. When will the anti-Hindu hate-mongering organizations start referring to Hindutva as qualities of a devout Hindu? 

8. Assault on American Hindus by the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) by advancing a Hinduphobic narrative with a Hoax Survey 

The Hinduphobic Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), a well-funded anti-Hindu organization, has attempted to place a noose around the minority American-Hindu community. By disparaging Hindus, the IAMC has made an insidious attempt to reduce the rights of Hindus to be openly and proudly Hindu. Using activists as its survey participants, it has advanced a Hinduphobic narrative. IAMC will use this survey to create suspicion about Hindus. Similar to a survey done by Equality Labs in 2016, IAMC’s partnering anti-Hindu hate organization. A survey that would not have qualified as a scientific survey. Yet, it was used to target Hindu Americans by introducing SB 403, a bigoted anti-Hindu caste legislation hoax bill.

According to CoHNA, a grassroots organization of North American Hindus, IAMC’s “survey” alleging widespread discrimination is another poorly executed fishing expedition from among its own activist base. It has replicated another survey by Equality Labs in 2016 – that would not have passed a Statistics 101 class. But given the widespread #Hinduphobia and sidelining of Hindu voices that prevails, we expect this will be used against the community just like the Equality Labs survey was used to introduce the anti-Hindu Caste bill hoax SB 403 in California that was ultimately vetoed by Governor Newsom in October last year (Figure 4).

Figure 4. IAMC assaulted the American Hindu Community by advancing a Hinduphobic narrative with a hoax survey 

1. IAMC just published a “survey” alleging widespread discrimination from Hindu Americans! It’s another poorly executed fishing expedition from among its own activist base. It reminds us of another “survey” done by Equality Labs in 2016 – something that would not have passed a Statistics 101 class. But *given the widespread Hinduphobia and sidelining of Hindu voices that prevails, we expect this hoax survey will be used against the Hindu community just like the hoax EL survey.

2. For instance, *any Hindu working in Corporate America will be under the bullseye of “discrimination” allegations any time they hire, review or layoff* an employee or contractor. 

 *Any child, youth or adult who does not dilute their own Hindu traditions to be “inclusive” to non Hindus is vulnerable to the charge of “Islamophobia* ”…

9. The Hindu American community was assaulted in Political Forums by   @IA_Impact and @IndiasporaForum at the “2024 Desis Decide Impact Summit.”

House Res. 1131 “Condemn Hinduphobia and Attacks on Hindu places of worship Act” was deviously brushed under the rug last May by anti-Hindu hate political forums such as IndianAmerican Impact and @IndiasporaForum.  The vast majority of the 4 million plus American Hindus became deeply concerned by the @IA_Impact and @IndiasporaForum for inviting blatantly anti-Hindu organizations at their glitzy “Desis decide” summit held in Washington DC in May 2024 US: Hindu groups up in arms against Democratic think tank – ThePrint. The Summit’s break-out session titled “Building Bridges, Amplifying Impact: Interfaith Advocacy session” was hijacked by anti-Hindu hate organizations such as HfHR and IAMC. Speakers from authentic Hindu advocacy organizations such as the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), HinduACTION, and Coalition of Hindus of North Americas (CoHNA) were excluded. More importantly, “Combating Hinduphobia” was omitted by the panelists. Ria Chakravarty, a panelist from the anti-Hindu hate organization “Hindus For Human Rights” (HFHR), made no mention of the House Res. 1131 “Condemn Hinduphobia, and Attacks on Hindu places of worship Act.”  The Hindu community is outraged that HfHR has opposed H Res. 1131.

According to the widely-known OSINT handle, ‘Disinfo Lab,’ HfHR was formed in 2019 by the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) and the Organization for Minorities of India (OFMI). In the eyes of the Hindu community, HfHR is a dark, villainous force scheming in cahoots with the Indian American Muslim Council to bring Hindus down. (Figure 5)

Question remains. Will @IA_Impact and @IndiasporaForum invite authentic Hindu organizations such as HinduACTION, AmericansforHindus (A4H), Hindu American Foundation (HAF), and CoHNA to represent Hindus? 

Figure 5: Assault on the Hindu American community by the poser Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR)organization.

1. In a shameful doublespeak, the HfHR has condemned H.Res.1131, a resolution to “Condemn Hinduphobia, and Attacks on Hindu places of worship Act.” 

2. HfHR did not make any statement after the FBI Report showed earlier this year that anti-Hindu hate crimes doubled in the past year. 

3. In a political conference titled  “2024 Desis Decide Impact Summit” in Washington DC. A breakout session was held on Wednesday, May 15th, 2024, from 2.45 to 3.45 pm, and all authentic Hindu organizations (A4H, CoHNA, Hindu Action, Hindu American Foundation, HinduPACT) were kept out. Only the hoax Hindu organization “Hindus For Human Rights” (HFHR)  represented Hindus on the speaker panel. HfHR’s ⁠Policy director, Ria Chakrabarty, was on the speaker panel along with other anti-Hindu hate organizations like IAMC and SALDEF.

4. Disinformation in its Session Description: “This insightful conversation will explore the transformative power of collaboration between faith-based organizations. Learn how to leverage the collective strength of diverse faith communities, discover how interfaith collaboration can amplify your voice on important issues, and gain practical tools for building strong partnerships with other faith groups. Yet, Hinduphobia was swept under the rug with a loud silence. No authentic Hindu advocacy organizations were included on the Speaker Panel

The question remains: Why was Hinduphobia by design swept under the rug at the American Impact Summit this year by the organizers of the Summit? 

10. Assault on the Hindu American community by a hoax anti-Hindu hate organization Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR) by not acknowledging the existence of Hinduphobia.

1. HfHR opposed House Res. 1131 “Condemn Hinduphobia, and the Attacks on Hindu places of worship Act.”  

2. HfHR did not acknowledge a recent FBI Report showing that anti-Hindu hate crimes doubled in the past year. 

3. A Civil Rights Department survey conducted last year revealed the second most reported hate was anti-Hindu bias and accounted for 23.3% of calls while anti-Muslim bias accounted for 14.6%. 

Question remains. When will HfHR start to speak the truth about the existence of Hinduphobia and why does it propagate Hinduphobia? 

11. Assaults on the Hindu American Community by the Los Angeles Times (LA Times)

The LA Times rejected 35 rebuttals/rejoinders submitted in response to 33 Hinduphobic articles over the past three years (Figure 6). 

Question remains. Why does the Los Angeles Times silence the Hindu American community by rejecting its opposing views/rebuttals/rejoinders?

1) The LA Times rejected nine rebuttals submitted to oppose SB 403. 

2) The LA Times rejected 27 rebuttals against its misleading allegations about  India being a fascist state despite citation of a respected Pew Research Center study, the Australian study showing India is being wrongly portrayed by the media as a fascist state, and a Rutgers University study showing Hinduphobia was on the rise. 

Question remains? When will the LA Times and other mainstream media stop their venomous anti-Hindu hate that brings trepidation and even dread to Hindus? 

 Figure 6: Los Angeles Times silenced American Hindus by rejecting 35 Rebuttals to 33 Hinduphobic Articles.