Revered Hindu deity denigrated on social media by US-based Christian pastor; accused has a history of targeting Hinduism
Austin, Texas, United States 
9 November, 2026
Case Summary
A revered Hindu deity, Lord Vishnu, was targeted with derogatory remarks by American Christian pastor Joel Webbon. The incident unfolded on X (formerly Twitter) on 10 November 2026, amid a social media exchange. The incident began when a Christian social media account named ‘Napoleon Bonaparte Appreciator’ published a post stating that his wife was unwell and requesting people to pray for them. In response, a social media user reminded him not to mock or insult Lord Vishnu and shared a screenshot of one of his previous posts in which he had denigrated the Hindu deity. The screenshot featured an iconoclastic depiction of an idol of Lord Vishnu that had been damaged and desecrated, lying on the floor inside a church. The image was accompanied by the statement, “Vishnu is a demon. Christ is Lord.” Following this exchange, American Christian pastor Joel Webbon joined the discussion and posted the remarks, “Curse Vishnu” and “Christ is King”, explicitly directing hostility towards the revered Hindu deity. It was noteworthy that both ‘Napoleon Bonaparte Appreciator’ and Joel Webbon have a history of making derogatory remarks against Hinduism, its deities and religious beliefs. Previous instances involving both accounts have been documented by the Hinduphobia Tracker. Webbon had previously targeted Hinduism and Hindu deities on multiple occasions. On 20 October 2025, during Diwali, he directed derogatory remarks at Hindu deities and the festival in response to a Diwali greeting posted by Kash Patel, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). In response to Patel's greeting, Webbon wrote: "Go back home (to India) and worship your sand demons. Get out of my country.” Further, on 8 April 2026, Webbon appeared on the ‘After Hours with Alex Stein’ podcast, where he joined comedian Alex Stein in denigrating Hinduism before a large audience. During the discussion, Webbon described Hinduism as “insanely demonic”, “satanic” and “very pagan”, while making disparaging remarks about Hindu religious practices and beliefs. The November 2026 incident marked another instance of Webbon directing hostility towards Hinduism, this time explicitly targeting Lord Vishnu through derogatory remarks on a public social media platform.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The primary category selected in this case is: Hate Speech against Hindus. The subcategory selected is: Anti-Hindu slurs, mocking faith. Anti-Hindu slurs and the deliberate mocking of the Hindu faith owing to religious animosity involve the usage of derogatory terms, stereotypes, or offensive references to religious practices, symbols, or figures. One of the common anti-Hindu slurs used against Hindus is “cow-worshipper” and “cow piss drinker”. The intention of using this term is to demean and mock Hindus as a group and their religious beliefs since Hindus consider the cow holy. Additionally, some symbols and the slurs attached to them have a historical context that exacerbates the insult, hate, stereotyping, dehumanisation and oppression against Hindus. Cow worship has been used for centuries to denigrate Hindus, insult their faith and oppress Hindus specifically as a religious group. There has been overwhelming documentation about how cow slaughter has been used to persecute Hindus with cow meat being thrown in temples and places of worship. There has also been overwhelming documentation where cow meat (beef) has been force-fed to Hindus to either forcefully convert them to Islam or denigrate their faith. Apart from cow worship, the Swastika – which holds deep religious significance for the Hindus – has also been misinterpreted and distorted to use as a slur against Hindus. Similarly, the worship of the Shivling has been used by supremacist ideologies and religions to denigrate Hindus owing to religious animosity. Such slurs and denigration stem out of inherent animosity and hate towards Hindus and their faith, therefore, it is categorised as hate speech targeted at Hindus specifically owing to their religious identity. This incident is a clear example of religiously driven hate speech, as the perpetrator, Joel Webbon, explicitly directed derogatory remarks at Lord Vishnu, a revered Hindu deity, by writing “Curse Vishnu” and encouraging hostility towards the deity. His remarks were not merely an expression of religious disagreement but a deliberate act of denigrating a sacred deity of Hinduism on a public social media platform. Hindu deities hold immense religious and spiritual significance in Hinduism and are revered by millions of devotees across the world. Lord Vishnu is one of the principal deities of the Hindu Trinity (Trimurti), alongside Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva, and is worshipped as the preserver and protector of the universe, embodying righteousness, preservation and cosmic order. He occupies a particularly revered position in Hindu traditions, with devotees offering prayers to him and his incarnations, including Lord Rama and Lord Krishna, with deep faith and devotion. Therefore, Webbon’s act of explicitly asking people to curse Lord Vishnu demonstrates deep-seated religious hostility towards Hinduism. Calling for a revered Hindu deity to be cursed is a deliberate expression of contempt for the faith and its sacred beliefs. Such conduct goes beyond religious disagreement and constitutes a direct denigration of Hindu religious sentiments, displaying the perpetrator’s disregard for the beliefs, devotion and religious dignity of the Hindu community. Simultaneously, invoking “Christ is King” in direct conjunction with the denigration of Lord Vishnu demonstrates the perpetrator’s Christian supremacist attitude, wherein Christianity is presented as deserving supremacy while a Hindu deity is subjected to condemnation and ridicule. The contrast between proclaiming the superiority of Christ and explicitly calling for Lord Vishnu to be cursed displays an attitude of religious exclusivism, in which reverence for one's own faith is accompanied by hostility and contempt towards another. This reflects clear anti-Hindu animosity and religious supremacy, wherein Hinduism and its sacred figures are treated as undeserving of the same respect accorded to Christianity. Such conduct constitutes religiously motivated hostility towards the Hindu community and its faith. Furthermore, Webbon has a repeated history of expressing hostility towards Hinduism and its religious beliefs, demonstrating a consistent pattern of targeting the faith and its deities with derogatory remarks. His previous conduct, including his denigration of Hindu religious beliefs and characterisation of Hinduism as demonic, establishes that his November 2026 remarks are not an isolated incident but part of a recurring pattern of anti-Hindu hostility. This repeated targeting exposes his explicit anti-Hindu mindset and demonstrates deep-seated religious animosity towards Hinduism and the Hindu community. Overall, since this incident showcases the perpetrator's doctrinal hatred and animosity towards Hinduism, this case is being added to the hate crime database of the Hinduphobia Tracker.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
