Case Summary

In the United States, a derogatory remark against Hindu deities and Diwali celebrations was made by a man named Bradley Pierce. The accused is a Christian conservative, a constitutional attorney, the President of the Foundation to Abolish Abortion, and the Vice President of Heritage Defence. 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. The accused has 5,397 followers on X (formerly Twitter). On 21st October 2025, the accused made an offensive remark about Hindu deities and Diwali celebrations. The incident began when the official X handle of the Governor of Texas, “Governor Abbott Press Office,” extended Diwali wishes, sharing pictures of the Governor celebrating with Indian American Hindus. In response, Bradley Pierce quote-tweeted the post with a derogatory comment, stating: “Celebrating the worship of false gods (Hindu gods) provokes the righteous judgment of Christ upon our land.”

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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 remarks made by Bradley Pierce, a Christian man, constitute a clear instance of anti-Hindu hate speech. The accused denigrated Hindu deities by describing them as “false gods,” a deeply offensive remark towards the Hindu faith and its followers. In Hinduism, deities are divine manifestations of cosmic principles representing truth, virtue, strength, compassion, and wisdom. They are revered and worshipped by the Hindu community with utmost devotion and respect. Any attempt to insult, demean, or mock Hindu deities directly attacks the faith and identity of Hindu believers. Such remarks reveal deep-seated religious animosity and prejudice towards the Hindu community, making this statement a religiously motivated hate speech against Hindus and their sacred faith. The accused made these derogatory comments in response to an official post that extended Diwali greetings. His remarks were not only directed at Hindu deities but also at Diwali itself — one of Hinduism’s most revered and auspicious festivals. Diwali holds immense spiritual importance as it celebrates the victory of light over darkness and good over evil. Attempts to denigrate a festival of such deep religious significance, particularly by insulting Hindu gods and calling them “false,” showcase calculated contempt towards the Hindu religion and its followers. Such hate speech targets Hindus during a time of great religious observance, causing emotional distress and offence within the community. This act demonstrates deliberate religious hostility, making it a clear case of religiously motivated hate speech. By using the phrase “false gods” to describe Hindu deities, the accused displayed the characteristic attitude prevalent among Christian conservatives who harbour animosity towards non-Christian faiths. Such rhetoric reflects deep-rooted doctrinal hostility that portrays other religions as inferior or evil merely because they differ from Christian beliefs. This ideological demonisation exposes long-standing religious prejudice and intolerance towards Hindus and their faith, fully meeting the parameters of an anti-Hindu hate speech. Consequently, this incident has been recorded in the hate crime database of the Hinduphobia Tracker.