Attack on Hindu religious sentiments: Anti-Hindu group calls Mahakumbh Mela 'Islamophobic'
United States 
2 March, 2025
Case Summary
An anti-Hindu remark targeting the Mahakumbh Mela 2025, a Hindu religious gathering, was made by Equality Labs, one of the most anti-Hindu and anti-Brahmin groups in the United States. The group sought to propagate Hinduphobia by labelling the Mahakumbh Mela as 'Islamophobic' in their newsletter. Mahakumbh Mela 2025 held deep spiritual significance for Hindus, having occurred after 144 years during the rare celestial alignment of the Sun, Moon, Jupiter, and Saturn. It represents the largest Hindu congregation, where millions of devotees take a holy dip in the Ganga, believing it cleanses them of their sins. The group's newsletter stated, “Ramadan Kareem. During this special month of Ramadan, Equality Labs proudly recommitted to standing alongside our Muslim kin in the fight for collective liberation. During trying times such as these, showing solidarity for Muslims-caste-oppressed, South Asian, Palestinian, queer, and beyond meant actively battling real-world threats like Islamophobia, casteist hate speech, and misinformation. Undoing the intergenerational harms caused by this insidious, targeted violence was an ongoing reality for many religious minorities across the world. Recent incidents, like the surge in online and offline hate against Muslims during the Mahakumbh Mela, one of the largest and most sacred gatherings in Hinduism, indicated that anti-Muslim rhetoric was spreading. It became even more critical to raise awareness of the uniqueness of the Muslim identity as well as the daily struggles that coincide with it. But even in the face of great adversity, our communities had each other. Our shared spaces were growing Muslim political power and cultivating grassroots defence—from Know Your Rights primers, to critical digital security resources and inclusive community Iftars, we kept ourselves safe and grounded as the political spectrum rapidly fluctuated. We hoped this special month would bring hope, reflection, and renewal. Ramadan Kareem to all those who observe. We stood with you, now and always.” The fact that Equality Labs described the celebration of the Mahakumbh Mela as 'Islamophobic' demonstrated their bigotry and Hinduphobia. A Hindu religious gathering was itself deemed Islamophobic. Reports stated that Equality Labs has a history of anti-Hindu remarks. Huma Dar, their former advisor, had connections with the Pakistani army. The organisation maintained ties with anti-Hindu groups in the USA, such as Hindu for Human Rights (HfHR) and the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC). They also had links with notorious anti-Hindu and anti-India pro-Khalistani groups, including Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), which threatened to kill the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, regarding his position as a Hindu leader. Equality Labs also received funding from George Soros.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Hate Speech against Hindus. Within this, 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 Equality Labs, an anti-Hindu organisation, in which the celebration of Mahakumbh Mela was described as 'Islamophobic,' represents a clear instance of hate crime. The Mahakumbh Mela is one of Hinduism's most significant religious gatherings. It is an occasion of profound spiritual importance, when millions of Hindus gather to take a ritual dip in the sacred Ganga, believing this act cleanses them of their sins and connects them with centuries-old traditions. To label such a religious gathering as 'Islamophobic' is to spread dangerous stereotypes and foster social hatred towards the Hindu community and its religious gatherings and festivals. This sort of rhetoric does not simply misrepresent the nature of the gathering; it actively stokes negative sentiment and animosity against Hindus, depicting their sacred gathering as something hostile and exclusionary. The propagation of such views in the public sphere amounts to religious animosity and constitutes religiously motivated hate speech. Equality Labs frequently uses the language of fighting casteism and 'combating Islamophobia' as euphemisms to justify or shield targeted attacks against Hinduism and the Hindu community. Under the pretext of advocacy, the group disseminates negative stereotypes about Hindu festivals, presenting Hinduphobia as a form of social justice. This manipulation of progressive rhetoric to advance anti-Hindu agendas is particularly insidious, as it attempts to mask hate speech beneath calls for equality and solidarity. Furthermore, Equality Labs’ connections with infamous anti-Hindu and anti-India organisations—including pro-Khalistani outfits such as Sikhs For Justice and Pakistani groups hostile to India—further underline the religiously motivated nature of their hate speech. These associations make it even more apparent that the group's activities are not simply about opposing casteism or Islamophobia, but about advancing a targeted, hostile campaign against Hindus, their beliefs, and their cultural practices. Given that this case meets multiple clear parameters of Hinduphobic hate speech, it is being added to the hate crime database.
Case Status
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Perpetrators Details
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