a. What is Hinduphobia?

Hinduphobia refers to prejudice, hostility, and hatred directed toward Hindus and Hinduism. It manifests in society, academia, and politics—often from individuals and groups influenced by Abrahamic religious frameworks.

Common tactics used to promote Hinduphobia include:

• Stereotyping Hindu beliefs: Hindus are labeled as “polytheists,” “idol worshippers,” or even “satanic.”
  
• Misrepresenting cultural practices: Traditions such as Yoga are dismissed, distorted, or ridiculed with pejorative labels like “low quality.”
  
• Derogatory depictions of deities: Hindu gods are trivialized as the “Monkey God” or “Elephant God,” ignoring their deeper symbolism.
  
• Political framing: Hindus are often portrayed as intolerant, supremacist, or uniformly “right wing.”
  
• Academic distortions: Some Indologists discredit Hindu literature, attempt to rewrite history, or replace terms like “India” with “South Asia.” Textbook debates—such as in California—have included attempts to describe Vedic scriptures as mere “secret rituals” or “spells and charms.”
  
• Religious bias: Hinduism is sometimes portrayed as outdated or regressive, while Buddhism and Sikhism are selectively presented as “improvements” over it.
  

In short, Hinduphobia systematically undermines Hindu traditions, symbols, and contributions, while denying Hindus the dignity of representing their own faith on its own terms.

Other reading material: Venkat and Rajeev podcast, 

https://www.hinduamerican.org/blog/new-york-times-fecal-load-of-hinduphobia

https://www.hinduamerican.org/blog/how-the-new-anti-semitism-can-provide-insight-into-hinduphobia

Contributor: Rajeev Singh

Location of this post (28a): https://www.hinduspeakers.org/ufaqs/what-is-hinduphobia/