Attack on Hindu faith: American Christian influencer abuses Hindu deities amidst Diwali celebrations
United States 
20 October, 2025
Case Summary
A derogatory remark against Hindu deities was posted on social media by an American Christian account named ‘Smash Balls’, operating under the handle ‘@smashballs’, targeting Hindu sentiments during the sacred festival of Diwali. 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. Diwali also celebrates the divine feminine energy through Goddess Lakshmi, symbolising wealth, prosperity, and good fortune, and through Goddess Kali, who signifies the destruction of evil forces. The festival unites Hindu families and communities in prayer, celebration, and renewal, encouraging spiritual cleansing, positive beginnings, and harmony. On 21st October 2025, the accused, Smash Balls, made abusive remarks on X (formerly Twitter), targeting Hindu deities such as Lord Vishnu, Lord Ganesha, Goddess Saraswati, and Goddess Lakshmi, calling them ‘demonic’. The accused wrote: “These are the demon gods Hindus are worshipping today (Diwali). America wasn’t founded to protect or promote demonic worship like this, and it has no place here.” This tweet resulted in massive outrage among Indian Hindus, who expressed anger and condemnation over such disparaging remarks against Hindu deities on Diwali.
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 case is a stark example of anti-Hindu hate speech, as it involves the deliberate denigration of Hindu deities during a well-respected festival, Diwali. The accused, using a social media handle, made deeply offensive remarks aimed at some of the most revered Hindu gods – Lord Vishnu, Lord Ganesha, Goddess Saraswati, and Goddess Lakshmi. Hindu deities embody core principles and virtues central to the Hindu faith. Lord Vishnu is revered as the preserver and protector of the universe, embodying compassion, righteousness, and sustenance. Lord Ganesha signifies wisdom, prosperity, and the removal of obstacles, making him one of the most universally worshipped gods in Hinduism. Goddess Saraswati represents knowledge, arts, and learning, guiding devotees in the pursuit of wisdom and enlightenment. Goddess Lakshmi embodies wealth, prosperity, and good fortune, signifying auspiciousness and abundance. The Christian accused referred to these deities as ‘demons’, which is an odious and prejudiced term rooted in doctrinal hostility against Hindu beliefs. Hindus hold their deities in high reverence, and any sort of abuse directed towards them is motivated by religious animosity towards Hinduism. Such language not only disrespects the sacredness of these gods but also seeks to undermine Hindu religious sentiments fundamentally. Furthermore, the accused deliberately insulted Hindu deities during Diwali, a festival of immense religious importance to the Hindu community. This calculated attempt to denigrate sacred Hindu gods at such a significant celebration exposes profound religious hostility towards Hinduism. Furthermore, the accused stated that Hinduism and Hindu deities have no place in America. To declare that a particular religious community has no place in a geographical region exemplifies religious supremacy and exclusion. This statement reveals an intent to impose a Christian supremacist vision that marginalises and rejects the Hindu community. Rooted in exclusion and hatred, this clearly qualifies as religiously motivated hate speech. It is also crucial to highlight that terms like "demons" have historically been deployed by Christian evangelists and proselytisers to deride Hinduism and other polytheistic faiths. This language conveys doctrinal animosity and seeks to delegitimise Hindu religious traditions. The use of such terminology in this context exemplifies a clear pattern of anti-Hindu sentiment, further confirming this as a religiously motivated hate speech. Given the deliberate disparagement of sacred Hindu deities, the Diwali festival, the promotion of exclusionary religious supremacy, and the use of historically charged derogatory language, this case has been added to the Hate Crime Database of the Hinduphobia Tracker.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
