“The new-age Jews of the West? When Hindu faith becomes a provocation”, First Post, November 05, 2025
“In a recent article for The Hindu, journalist Varghese K George argued that the Indian diaspora, while celebrating Diwali and also during Ganapati immersions, crossed “the limits of acceptable public behaviour in developed countries”. He reminded the readers how “anti-immigrant and nativist protesters in Australia have singled out Indians, and in the US and Canada, nationalist campaigners have a special focus on people of Indian origin these days”.
The tone of his argument was clear: Hindus should remain understated, invisible and compliant while celebrating their festivals, especially in foreign countries. Any visible assertion of faith could be seen as “too loud”, “too religious”, or even “too visible”. The blame, thus, shifts from intolerance and bigotry onto those who follow their religion and express pride in their cultural heritage. It implies that when Hindus are attacked in the West, the fault does not lie with the aggressors or latent racism, but with the victims themselves.
Such rhetoric is not new. Historically, similar narratives were used against Jews in pre-War Europe, where the community’s financial prowess and cultural distinction were twisted into provocations. Today, a comparable narrative is being applied to Hindus — the “new-age Jews” of the West — a prosperous, law-abiding, visible minority subtly told to stop being “too loud and religious” if they wish to remain safe……..”
Read full article at firstpost.com
