Anti-Hindu sentiment
Anti-Hindu sentiment, sometimes also referred to as Hinduphobia, is a negative perception, sentiment or actions against the practitioners or religion of Hinduism. It exists in many contexts in many countries, often due to historical conflict. There is also scholarly debate on what constitutes Hinduphobia in the Western World.
This article is about hatred of, or prejudice towards Hindus. For religious persecution of Hindus, see Persecution of Hindus.Definitions
Scholar Jeffery D. Long defines the term "Hinduphobia" as an irrational aversion of Hindus or Hinduism.[1] Vamsee Juluri, a Professor of Media Studies at the University of San Francisco agrees.[2][a]
Examples of anti-Hindu sentiments
According to the religious dialogue activist P. N. Benjamin, some Christian evangelists denigrate Hindu gods and consider Hindu rituals barbaric, and such attitudes have caused tensions between religious communities.[5][6]
Akbaruddin Owaisi, a leader of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen party in Hyderabad, has been charged several times for hate speeches denigrating Hindu gods and inciting violence against Hindus.[7][8]
A Muslim preacher apologised for insulting Hinduism in 2014, after an uproar.[9]
Hindus have historically been, and continue to be, considered Kafirs by some Muslims[10] and Heathen, Satanic or Demonic by some Christians.[11]
Outside Asia
Australia
In April 2024, a Hindu woman named Swastika Chandra from Sydney was banned from using the Uber app because it considered her first name (Swastika) to be offensive and related to Nazism. Swastika is a hindu symbol of divinity and spirituality, however it's perception in other parts of the world is different due to the adoption of the symbol by the Nazi Party in the early 20th century. After a period of six months, Uber exempted the ban and apologized for the misunderstanding.[66]
Resolutions and proclamations recognizing Hinduphobia
In April 2023, Georgia became the first state in the United States to pass a resolution condemning Hinduphobia.[109] That same month, the city of Fremont, California issued a proclamation acknowledging that "Hindu Americans have been the targets of bullying, discrimination, hate speech, harassment, and bias-motivated crimes."[110]
Criticism
Some academics question the usage of the term "Hinduphobia" in the West. Brian Collins[b] found the tropes of Hinduphobia to be a popular weapon employed by the affluent Hindu diaspora in stifling critical academic discourses on Hinduism—parallels with Kansas creationists were drawn.[111] Scholars affiliated to South Asia Scholar Activist Collective (SASAC)[112][113] reject "Hinduphobia" as an ahistorical and inappropriate neologism employed by the Hindu Right in order to suppress academic inquiry into topics concerned with Hinduism, Hindutva, caste, and Indian State.[114][115] While racist and anti-Hindu prejudices have been indeed observed, in their view, Hindus have not faced any entrenched systematic oppression in India or United States.[114][115] The claimants of Hinduphobia were also accused of engaging in discrimination against Muslims, lower-castes, Dalits, Christians, and progressive Hindus.[115]