Case Summary

A derogatory remark was made against Hindu deities and Diwali, a revered Hindu festival, on social media by an American Christian handle named ‘Joel Webbon’. Diwali, also known as Deepavali, holds profound importance for Hindus as it symbolises the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. It commemorates the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after defeating the demon king Ravana, representing the triumph of righteousness (dharma) and virtue. The festival also celebrates the divine feminine energy through Goddess Lakshmi, who symbolises wealth, prosperity, and good fortune, and through Goddess Kali, who represents the destruction of evil forces. Diwali unites Hindu families and communities in prayer, celebration, and renewal, encouraging spiritual cleansing, positive beginnings, and harmony. On 20th October 2025, Joel Webbon made abusive remarks on X (formerly Twitter), targeting Hindu deities in response to a Diwali greeting post. The incident began when Kash Patel, the current Director of the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation), extended Diwali wishes from his official X handle. In response, Webbon quote-tweeted Patel’s message with a derogatory comment, stating: “Go back home (to India) and worship your sand demons. Get out of my country.” This sparked massive outrage among Indian Hindus, who condemned the offensive remarks targeting their revered festival and deities.

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Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case has been 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. In this case, the remark made by the Christian accused is a clear instance of anti-Hindu hate speech, insulting Hindu religious sentiments during Diwali, one of the most sacred festivals in Hindu tradition. This festival symbolises unity, prayer, renewal, and moral triumph for Hindus globally, with customs like lighting oil lamps (diyas), offering prayers, sharing sweets, and celebrating family togetherness. Therefore, any abuse directed at Hindu deities or Diwali celebrations is an affront to the Hindu faith and the dignity of the Hindu community. The timing and nature of the remarks reveal deep-seated religious hostility, making this a religiously motivated hate speech incident during a period of reverence and joy. The accused’s reference to Hindu deities and their idols as “sand demons” was a deeply offensive vilification of sacred Hindu icons and the act of worship itself. In Hinduism, idols or murtis are not merely decorative objects but hold profound religious significance as living embodiments of divine strength, grace, and power. They serve as tangible symbols through which devotees focus their devotion, perform rituals, and establish a spiritual connection with the divine. Rooted in Hindu philosophy and practices, these idols represent various aspects of the ultimate reality and facilitate meditation, self-realisation, and a personal relationship with God. Abusing these sacred idols is therefore an attack on Hindu faith itself, reflecting religious intolerance. It is also important to highlight that the use of the phrase “demons” reflects a long-standing pattern of religious vilification by conservative Christian groups who consider idol worship to be sinful. While individuals are entitled to follow their beliefs, targeting and insulting other faiths that do not conform to their doctrine reveals deep religious animosity. The accused’s comments exemplified the historical hostility exhibited by Christianity towards polytheistic faiths such as Hinduism. This instance, therefore, demonstrates doctrinal animosity towards Hindus and their faith. Hence, this case is being added to the hate crime database of the Hinduphobia Tracker.