Lord Shiva denigrated by Canadian comedian on social media
Alberta, Canada 
30 October, 2025
Case Summary
A derogatory remark against the Hindu deity, Lord Shiva, was posted on social media by a Canadian comedian named Bruce Barrett, operating under the handle “@bruce_barrett”,. In the post, posted on October 31, 2025, the Canadian comedian called the revered Hindu deity a 'Demon'. The accused wrote: “Indians clearly worship demons”, along with a short video depicting a statue of the Hindu deity. This tweet had garnered more than 492 thousand views at the time of writing this report.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the database under the primary category of: Hate speech against Hindus. Under this, the sub-category 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 from 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. Lord Shiva is one of the principal deities in Hinduism, revered as a key figure in the divine trinity, along with Brahma, the creator, and Vishnu, the preserver. Known as the destroyer and transformer, Shiva holds a central place in Hindu worship and spiritual symbolism. Disparaging or denigrating Lord Shiva as a demon is not merely offensive but is seen as an affront to the Hindu faith, as it disrespects a deity deeply revered across Hindu communities. Acts or statements that mock or insult Shiva are, therefore, perceived as attacks on the broader Hindu religion and its core beliefs. Furthermore, the accused is a repeat offender who deliberately cherry picks incidents and portrays them as Hindu cultural practices, along with spreading misinformation on Hindu festivities. This showcases that the X post was not a misinformed singular act but part of a calculated attempt to denigrate sacred Hindu gods due to profound religious hostility towards Hinduism and Indian identity. 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.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
