Hindu nationalism is a corrosive force in American life, just as it is in India, says IAMC Executive Director Rasheed Ahmed
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI – The toxic ideology of religious politics and communal hate, seen raising its ugly head in India in recent years might have traversed overseas as well, dividing Indian nationals in the United States.
A survey “The Detrimental Effects of Hindu Nationalism on Indian American Muslims” conducted by the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) and ReThink Media has claimed the existence of alarming trends regarding the rise of Hindu nationalism within the Indian diaspora in the United States and its profound impact on Indian American Muslims.
IAMC is a diaspora group of Indian Muslims and is based in Washington DC. The Chicago-based ReThink Media offers in-depth media, messaging and opinion research.
The survey report released at the weekend revealed that over 90% of Indian Muslims agree that Hindu nationalism is a threat to their community in the US. Out of these, 80% reported that they faced discrimination from Hindu nationalists, tying it to the “environment of intolerance” fostered in and out of India.
The survey, which polled 950 Indian American Muslims to take a “comprehensive look” at how Hindu nationalist ideology, particularly following the rise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is “shaping social, professional, and digital interactions”, said that over 80% of respondents experienced “Islamophobic harassment, discrimination, or prejudice from Hindu friends or social contacts over the past decade since Modi’s rise to power.”
The survey revealed that 70% of respondents experienced biased treatment from Hindu colleagues, including being passed over for promotions and anti-Muslim remarks at work; 48% of respondents reported facing harassment and discrimination on Facebook, WhatsApp, and LinkedIn, describing these experiences as emotionally exhausting, and contributing to feelings of isolation and hostility; 90% of respondents agreed (73% of them strongly) that Hindu nationalism “is a threat to Muslims in the United States”; and 86% agreed (69% strongly) that Hindu nationalism “is a threat to democracy in the United States.”
According to the survey report, the rise of Hindu nationalism in India is directly driving the rise of Islamophobia within the Indian American diaspora. “Hindu nationalism is fostering an environment of intolerance that actively undermines democratic values both in India and within the diaspora community in the US,” the survey said.
Highlighting the role of social media, the report further said different platforms have been weaponised against the Indian American Muslim community, “which overwhelmingly reported experiences of anxiety, fear, and isolation from Islamophobic posts and groups on international tech platforms.”
The survey respondents are located throughout the United States but are concentrated in the larger Indian American population centres in New Jersey, New York, Illinois, Texas, and California.
Among its key conclusion, the report’s findings “emphasise the need for enhanced community dialogue, education and policy interventions” to address this “growing divide.”
IAMC Executive Director Rasheed Ahmed said the survey “provides quantitative proof of what many Indian American Muslims have known to be true for decades.
“Namely, that Hindu nationalism is a corrosive force in American life, just as it is in India,” he said.
IAMC President Mohammad Jawad said the Modi regime’s grasp on Indian American communities undermines mutual respect, as well as bonds of friendship and solidarity. “It is a threat to international democracy just as much as to the local, social fabric,” he said.
