Attack on Hindu sentiments: American Christian journalist denigrates Hindu community and Lord Hanuman's statue on social media
Fort Worth, Texas, United States 
15 February, 2026
Case Summary
In Texas, United States of America, the Hindu community faced derision with slurs and a revered statue of Lord Hanuman was mocked by a Christian journalist named Carlos Turcios. According to reports, in August 2024, the Ashtalakshmi Temple in Sugar Land, 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. This statue became a symbol of Hindu pride and heritage, particularly for thousands of people of Indian origin living in Texas. The accused in this case called Hindus "third-world aliens" and mocked the Texas idol of Lord Hanuman. The accused on X on 16 February 2026 wrote: "This isn't Islamabad, Pakistan, or New Delhi, India. This is Sugar Land, a city in the US state of Texas. Aliens from the Third World slowly spread across Texas and the US. Why is this the third-largest statue in America?" This resulted in outrage from Hindu social media users. A user named Vasant Bhatt responded to his post, saying, "This is built on private land, purchased by Hindus with their own money. You guys lost the cultural debate years ago and will lose the upcoming election. Your 'America First' slogan now just seems like old racist thinking." Another Hindu user named Aanchal said, "What's wrong with that? India also has places of worship for many religions that did not originate in India. In any case, India is among the top 20 countries with the largest Christian population. Our Christian brothers and sisters live in India with as much freedom as Indian Hindus." Notably, this was not the first time the accused Carlos made such anti-Hindu remarks. The Hinduphobia Tracker previously reported another instance where the accused mocked the same Hanuman idol. In April 2025, the accused put out a tweet stating, “BOMBSHELL🚨A 90-foot-tall Hanuman statue for a SATANIC Hindu deity was created in Sugar Land, TEXAS! Why is Texas allowing FALSE GOD STATUES to be built?! We have SHARIA LAW cities and NOW THIS?!”
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 exemplifies a religiously motivated hate speech directed against Hinduism and the Hindu community. By labelling Hindus as "third world aliens" who are "slowly spreading across Texas and the United States," the Christian accused denigrated the Hindu community as foreign invaders unworthy of belonging in America. This rhetoric dehumanises Hindus, portraying their cultural and religious presence, such as erecting religious statues on private land, as an illegitimate encroachment. It fuels exclusionary animosity rooted in religious prejudice against non-Christian communities, particularly Hindus, and stems from deep-seated hostility towards Hinduism and the Hindu community. The accused also mocked the sacred statue of Lord Hanuman erected by the local Hindu community. For Hindus, deities are the manifestations of the supreme divinity (Brahman) and command profound reverence, holding deep religious significance. In particular, Lord Hanuman ranks among the most venerated figures, embodying unwavering devotion to Lord Rama alongside courage, loyalty, strength, and protection for devotees; millions worldwide honour him through prayers, chants of his name, and recitations like the Hanuman Chalisa. The accused mocked this revered statue by questioning its place in Texas with remarks like "Why is this the third largest statue in America?" while equating it to foreign influences from Pakistan or India. He further vilified it in prior statements as a "satanic Hindu deity" and "false god statue," revealing his belief that Hinduism and Hindus have no place in America. These verbal and derogatory attacks on a sacred Hindu symbol underscore deep-seated religious animosity, dismissing Hindu faith as alien and inferior. Both elements, deriding Hindus as "third-world aliens" and mocking Lord Hanuman's statue, demonstrate deliberate religious hostility. They intertwine ethnic slurs with religious contempt to delegitimise Hindu identity and presence in the United States, inciting division by framing Hindu devotion as a threat to American values. Such speech stems from entrenched hatred for Hinduism and the Hindu community. Therefore, the Hinduphobia Tracker has added this case to its hate crime database.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
