Across the United States, especially following the installation of the monumental Hanuman murti in Sugar Land, Texas, clear evidence of Hinduphobia has emerged in public discourse, social media, and organized protests. This article explores these incidents through a Hindu perspective, highlighting the double standards, intolerance, and open hostility faced by Hindu symbols and the community.
The Hanuman Murti and Its Significance
In August 2024, the Ashtalakshmi Temple in Sugar Land, Texas, installed a 90-foot bronze murti of Lord Hanuman, named the “Statue of Union.” This is now the third tallest murti in the USA, after the Statue of Liberty and the Pegasus and Dragon in Florida. With over 1400 Hindu temples in the USA, this murti became a symbol of Hindu pride and heritage, especially for thousands of Bharatiya-origin Americans living in Texas.
Wave of Derogatory Remarks and Organized Hate
The installation was met not with curiosity and celebration, but a torrent of derogatory statements from political, religious, and social actors:
- A prominent Texas Republican, Alexander Duncan, publicly called Hanuman a “false Hindu God” and questioned the murti’s place in America, framing the USA as a “Christian nation.”
- Social media was weaponized: users posted about “removing the Hindu demon monkey statue,” connecting anti-immigrant sentiment with Hinduphobia.
- Other posts linked the murti to supposed supernatural causes, such as floods in Texas, and called the murti “demonic filth,” “satanic deity,” and worse.
Such language, directly targeting the sacred beliefs of Hindus, reveals a deep intolerance and an alarming escalation of organized hate.
Church-Organized Protests
Church groups went beyond online rhetoric and staged physical protests:
- In August 2024, members of a local church gathered around the statue, publicly calling Hanuman a “demon god.” They disrupted temple activities, accosted visitors, and aggressively proselytized, insisting Jesus was the only true god.
- Security had to be reinforced at the temple, costing thousands, and there was a palpable threat to the peace and safety of Hindu devotees.
These acts extend far beyond mere disagreement—they represent an intention to intimidate and suppress public Hindu expression.
Double Standards: Religious Plurality in Question
A striking revelation in the report is the blatant double standard. While the Hindu community’s lone Hanuman murti in Texas is attacked, the US and Bharat host thousands of Christian churches and monumental statues of Jesus:
- There are over 28,000 churches in Bharat, with the Catholic Church the largest landowner after the government.
- Bharat itself is dotted with massive Christian statues, some over 114 feet tall.
- The Church’s vast land holdings, estimated at a staggering seven crore hectares (17.29crore acres) with a total value of approximately Rs 20,000 crore.
- No record indicates mass protests from Hindus against these Christian symbols—but the reverse is unfolding in the USA.
This exposes an unfair expectation that Hindus should tolerate Christian symbols globally, yet the Christian majority in the USA resists a single prominent Hindu murti.
Online Hate and Stereotyping
Not only leaders and churches, but online spaces have become echo chambers of Hinduphobic rhetoric:
- Posts implied that the murti was “demonic,” “causing nightmares,” and “unsettling the peace.”
- Others mocked the form of Hanuman, making crude references and racist remarks linking Bharatiya culture with filth and disorder.
- The language often mixed religious intolerance with xenophobia, depicting Bharatiya Americans and Hindus as threats to the fabric of American society.
The Hindu Experience in America
For American Hindus, these attacks are not isolated but part of a broader pattern where their symbols, festivals, and faith are marginalized or derided. The Hanuman statue episode is emblematic of Hinduphobia: a refusal to accept religious pluralism, a tendency to demonize the unfamiliar, and a drive to erase non-Christian identities from public spaces.
Conclusion: Need for Dialogue and Mutual Respect
Hinduphobia, as revealed by the Hanuman murti controversy, is not merely about one monument; it is about the struggle for dignity, representation, and acceptance. Hindus in America must continue to express their faith publicly and assert their right to be respected. At the same time, broader society must confront and reject such intolerance, championing religious pluralism as the cornerstone of American and global democracy.
