Case Summary

In the United States, a derogatory remark targeting Lord Hanuman, a revered Hindu deity, was made by a Christian conservative woman named Megan Basham. According to media sources, in August 2024, the Ashtalakshmi Temple in Sugar Land, Houston, Texas, installed a 90-foot bronze statue (murti) of Lord Hanuman, named the “Statue of Union.” This became the third-tallest statue in the United States, after the Statue of Liberty and the Pegasus and Dragon in Florida. The statue became a powerful symbol of Hindu pride and heritage, particularly for thousands of people of Indian origin living in Texas. However, the idol was targeted, and Lord Hanuman was mocked by the accused, who referred to Lord Hanuman as “monkey god.” The accused is a journalist working for 'The Daily Wire', a right-wing news outlet, and is a bestselling author for the New York Times. On 21st October 2025, the accused, on her X (formerly known as Twitter) account, mocked Lord Hanuman by calling him a monkey god. She wrote, "If you as a Christian do not feel some pain at the thought of your nation, once firmly grounded in Christian culture, now witnessing federal government offices honouring Krishna, Kali, and Lakshmi, and telling you you must welcome giant golden monkey gods on the Houston horizon, then I think you have a lot more Bible reading to do."

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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. This incident is a clear example of religiously motivated hate speech targeted at Hinduism and the Hindu community. Hindu deities are held in deep reverence by followers of the Hindu faith, forming an integral part of religious practice, identity, and heritage. They are worshipped with devotion and regarded as divine manifestations with profound spiritual significance. Among them, Lord Hanuman is one of the most highly revered deities. He is celebrated for his unwavering devotion to Lord Rama, his embodiment of courage, loyalty, and strength, and his role as a protector and helper of devotees. Millions across the world worship Lord Hanuman through prayers, chanting his name, and reading scriptures such as the Hanuman Chalisa. In this light, any derogatory remark or mockery against him not only insults a sacred deity but also reveals a deep-seated animosity towards the Hindu community and its faith. Furthermore, such disparaging remarks directed at Lord Hanuman or any Hindu deity cause deep emotional hurt and distress among Hindus, as they degrade and disrespect their deeply cherished beliefs. In this instance, the accused mocked Lord Hanuman by referring to him as a "Monkey god". Such phrases are classic forms of mockery and derogation often employed by Christian conservatives when speaking about non-Christian faiths. Historically, Christian religious doctrine has displayed contempt for polytheistic traditions, a prejudice that also extends to Hinduism, which they regard as a polytheistic religion. This language is therefore not a case of casual hostility, but is rooted in religious indoctrination aimed at vilifying and delegitimising Hindu belief systems. The incident thus constitutes a direct and deliberate example of religiously motivated hate speech. Considering that this case meets the parameters of religiously motivated hate speech, it is being added to the hate crime database of the Hinduphobia Tracker.