Sacred Hindu scripture denigrated, Hindu women abused by Christian man on social media
Saudi Arabia 
4 February, 2024
Case Summary
A derogatory remark targeting the revered Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad Gita, and Hindu women was made on social media by a Christian man named Felix Edward Mathias, aged 56. According to media reports, the accused is originally a resident of Mumbai but was working and staying in Saudi Arabia. This incident came to light when the accused was arrested at Mumbai International Airport by the Mangalore police. Reports confirmed that in February 2024, Mathias posted objectionable, hateful remarks about the Bhagavad Gita and Hindu women on social media, following which the police registered a case. A Look Out Circular (LOC) was also issued against him, and he was detained by the Mangaluru City Police upon his arrival at Mumbai International Airport on 5th December 2025. Further investigation was underway in this case. The Mangalore police stated that any attempt to incite hatred, violence, or communal tension on social media would not be tolerated, and strict legal action would continue in such cases.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case is being added to the tracker under the primary category- 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 case is being added to the tracker because the accused, Felix Edward Mathias, denigrated the sacred Hindu text, Bhagavad Gita, and made derogatory remarks targeting Hindu women. It is important to state that the Bhagavad Gita holds profound religious significance as a sacred Hindu scripture, encapsulating timeless philosophical teachings on duty, righteousness, and the soul that lie at the heart of Hindu faith and practice. Denigrating the Bhagavad Gita through obscene or offensive remarks constitutes a clear instance of anti-Hindu hate speech, as it directly assaults the core tenets revered by millions of Hindus worldwide. Such offensive remarks targeting the Bhagavad Gita amount to anti-Hindu hate speech, as they aim to hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindu community. In this context, the accused's act of targeting Hindu women with derogatory remarks further exemplifies anti-Hindu hate speech, compounding the attack by dehumanising and objectifying female adherents of the faith, thereby reinforcing communal prejudice. The accused's abuse of the Bhagavad Gita alone demonstrates hatred towards Hindus and Hinduism, while adding derogatory remarks against Hindu women reveals deep-seated religious animosity not only towards the faith but also its followers, particularly women, marking this as a clear instance of anti-Hindu hate crime. Furthermore, the accused's choice of social media ensured maximum reach, amplifying his intent to malign Hinduism globally and provoke harm to Hindus. Such public dissemination underscores calculated malice, fitting squarely into patterns of online Hinduphobia where anti-Hindu content proliferates unchecked. Given these targeted attacks on the Bhagavad Gita and Hindu women, this case unequivocally amounts to an anti-Hindu hate crime against Hindus and their faith. Henceforth, this case is being added to the hate crime database of the Hinduphobia tracker. Disclaimer: The Hinduphobia Tracker records the dates of incidents based on when the crime occurs rather than when it is reported by the media. In this case, media reports have not specified the exact date when the crime occurred or when the accused made the derogatory remarks against the Bhagavad Gita and Hindu women. They only state that it occurred in February 2024, and he was arrested on 5th December 2025. Based on this information, an indicative date of 5th February 2024 is being selected as the date of the incident. This is for documentation purposes only. Even though the accused in this case was from Mumbai, the fact is that when he made these derogatory remarks, he was in Saudi Arabia. Henceforth, for the place of incidence, we have selected the location as Saudi Arabia.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
