By Madhu Hebbar
Western academia and media exhibit a stark double standard in their treatment of world religions. Islam, with 1.9 billion adherents across 57 majority-Muslim countries, is often handled with caution, shielded by accusations of “Islamophobia” and “orientalism,” even when addressing its deficits in gender equality and democracy. Hinduism, practiced by 1.2 billion people, mainly in India, faces unrelenting scrutiny for caste and patriarchy, with little restraint. Christianity, dominant in the West with 2.4 billion followers, is critiqued openly for historical wrongs like witch burning and slavery, as well as ongoing patriarchal structures, but within a familiar cultural framework as the majority faith. Despite Muslims and Hindus being minorities in the West (1–6% and ~1–1.5% of populations in the US and UK, respectively) and Christianity the majority (70% in the US), these disparities reveal biases driven by geopolitical weight, academic self-censorship, and selective framing of “marginalized” faiths.
Islam’s Geopolitical Clout Shields Criticism
Islam’s global presence across politically volatile regions like the Middle East grants it significant geopolitical weight. Post-9/11, anti-Muslim hate crimes surged, with FBI data reporting a 1,600% increase in the US in 2001 (from 28 to 481 incidents) and 158 anti-Muslim hate crimes in 2023. A 2017 Pew Research Center survey found 50% of Americans viewed Islam unfavorably, amplifying fears of fueling Islamophobia. Scholars and media temper critiques, even on gender and democracy, where Islam lags. For instance, a 2020 Guardian article on Saudi Arabia’s women’s rights reforms framed them as progressive, downplaying ongoing male guardianship laws affecting 51% of Saudi women, per Human Rights Watch. Similarly, a 2023 Journal of Democracy analysis noted that only 4 of 57 Muslim-majority countries (e.g., Tunisia) are full democracies, per Freedom House. Yet, Western scholars often frame these deficits as cultural nuances rather than systemic flaws, wary of “Islamophobic” labels. The 2005 Danish cartoon crisis underscores how critiques of Islam can provoke global backlash, further encouraging caution.
Hinduism’s Unrelenting Scrutiny
Hinduism, concentrated in India (80% of 1.4 billion people) with a smaller diaspora, lacks Islam’s geopolitical clout. Anti-Hindu incidents, like the 41 cases of bias reported by the Hindu American Foundation in 2021, receive minimal attention compared to Islamophobia. Critiques of Hinduism—focusing on caste (affecting 15–20% of India’s population, per the 2011 Census) and patriarchy (e.g., 6,589 dowry deaths annually, per 2021 NCRB for context approximately 11.12 million weddings happened in 2021)—are framed as systemic and ongoing, often tied to religious texts like Manusmriti. Western media, such as a 2015 BBC article on India’s gender disparities, portray these as embedded in Hindu culture, rarely highlighting Hinduism’s philosophical contributions and inbuilt mechanisms to correct excesses and injustice.
For example, Hindu shastras, such as the Dharma Shastras and Itihaasas (historical lore), including the Ramayana and Mahabharata, include mechanisms such as dharma-based governance, social duties (varnashrama), and ethical codes to address societal disparities by promoting justice and charity. These texts encourage rulers and communities to uphold fairness and support the disadvantaged through principles like dana (giving) and nyaya (justice).
This feature of Hinduism is given a pass by academics and the media in the West. On top of it, unlike Islam, Hinduism faces no equivalent “Hinduphobia” narrative to shield it. Moreover, critiques align with India’s internal reformist voices (e.g., Ambedkar), allowing scholars and media to scrutinize freely without fear of global repercussions.
Christianity’s Open Critique as the West’s Dominant Faith
Christianity, as the West’s majority religion (~70% in the US, 60% in the UK, per 2020 Pew Research Center), faces open critique without the protective caution afforded to Islam or the systemic focus applied to Hinduism. Historical issues like witch burning (40,000–60,000 executions in Europe, 15th–18th centuries, per Brian Levack’s The Witch-Hunt in Early Modern Europe, 2015) are discussed as examples of religious fanaticism and patriarchal control, tied to Christian interpretations (e.g., Exodus 22:18). Scholars like Silvia Federici (Caliban and the Witch, 2004) frame witch hunts as tools to suppress women. Still, these critiques are historical, rarely implicating modern Christianity. Media, such as The Atlantic’s 2018 piece on the Salem trials, sensationalize witch burning as a cautionary tale, not a defining trait of contemporary Christianity.
Slavery, a historical fact of both Islam (Ibn Qutaybah, As-Sadfi, Al-Tabari et al) and Christianity(biblical passages like the “Curse of Ham” (Genesis 9:20-27) ), to justify racial slavery) is rarely discussed.. Academic discussions, such as those in The Journal of American History (2015), critique Christianity’s complicity but frame it as a historical failure, not a modern trait. Media, like a 2020 NPR segment on slavery’s legacy, highlight Christian justifications alongside abolitionist efforts, presenting a nuanced narrative without cultural sensitivity concerns due to Christianity’s dominance (e.g., 84% of US Congress, per 2020 Pew).
Patriarchy in Christianity is critiqued both historically and today. Feminist theologians, like Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza (In Memory of Her, 1983), highlight biblical justifications for male dominance (e.g., 1 Timothy 2:12), while contemporary issues—evangelical support for abortion bans or Catholic bans on women’s ordination—are scrutinized in outlets like The New York Times (2022). A 2019 Pew study found 65% of US Christians support women’s ordination, yet conservative denominations (e.g., Southern Baptists) remain male-dominated, fueling debate. Unlike Islam’s gender issues (e.g., 80% of Muslim-majority countries restrict women’s rights, per the 2022 World Bank), Christianity’s patriarchy is framed as an internal Western issue, leveraging its dominance to justify candid critique.
Selective Sensitivity and Strategic Narratives
Western academia’s progressive bent prioritizes protecting perceived marginalized groups. Islam benefits from this, with a 2018 American Journal of Public Health study linking Islamophobia to poor mental health among Muslim Americans (62% reported hostility). Accusations of “Islamophobia” or “orientalism” (per Edward Said’s 1978 work) create a chilling effect, softening critiques of gender (e.g., 32 Muslim-majority countries weight women’s testimony at half value, per 2022 World Bank) or democracy (70% of Muslim-majority countries rank “not free,” per Freedom House 2023). Some argue these accusations are strategically wielded, as seen in the backlash to Salman Rushdie’s Satanic Verses, amplifying perceptions of a “free pass.” Hinduism faces no such shield; a 2022 The Indian Express article by Vamsee Juluri noted “Hinduphobia” since the 1860s, yet Western scholars dismiss it, framing caste and patriarchy critiques as scholarly rigor. Christianity, as the West’s dominant faith, faces open scrutiny for slavery, witch burning, and patriarchy, but these are debated as historical or institutional flaws within a familiar framework, not systemic indictments.
A Call for Fairness
The West’s selective treatment undermines honest discourse. Islam’s geopolitical weight and minority status demand nuance, softening critiques of its gender and democracy deficits. Hinduism, tied to India’s majority culture, faces harsh scrutiny for caste and patriarchy, often overshadowing its depth. Christianity, as the West’s majority faith, is critiqued openly but within a familiar context, avoiding the “exotic” lens applied to Hinduism or the caution reserved for Islam.
All three faiths deserve balanced engagement: critical where warranted, but free of selective sensitivity. Western academia and media must confront this double standard, ensuring equal respect without granting anyone a free pass.
Sources:
FBI Hate Crime Statistics, 2023.
Pew Research Center, 2017, 2019, 2020.
Hindu American Foundation, 2021.
American Journal of Public Health, 2018.
The Indian Express, Vamsee Juluri, 2022.
BBC, 2015.
Human Rights Watch, 2020.
World Bank Gender Index, 2022.
Freedom House, 2023.
Journal of Democracy, 2023.
Brian Levack, The Witch-Hunt in Early Modern Europe, 2015.
Silvia Federici, Caliban and the Witch, 2004.
Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, In Memory of Her, 1983.
The Oxford Handbook of Slavery in the Americas, 2010.
The Journal of American History, 2015.
The Atlantic, 2018.
NPR, 2020.
The New York Times, 2022.
National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), India, 2021.
About the Author
Madhu Hebbar, an engineer, is an IIT graduate, living in the greater Los Angeles area. He is a practicing Hindu and an avid reader who is interested in Eastern philosophies and their general application to Western challenges. He is engaged in coaching youngsters interested in Hindu civilizational history, universal values, and their modern-day relevance. He has contributed to many intellectual engagements for a decade-plus in the Hindu community across the U.S. He is a keen student /observer of the media, trying to understand motives, narratives, and their impact on people and society.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Voice of Hindus. Any content provided by our contributors or authors is their opinion.
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