A majority of Indian American Muslims living in the United States said they have experienced discrimination due to the rise of Hindu nationalism, an ideology that has fostered “an environment of intolerance” in and outside of India, a new report released on Wednesday found.
The survey, which polled 950 Indian Muslims living in the U.S. and was compiled by the Indian American Muslim Council and ReThink Media, revealed the trend, tying it to the political ideology of Hindu nationalism among Indian immigrants.
The study’s aim is to offer a deeper look at how Hindu nationalist ideology — particularly following the election of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party — has led to increased Islamophobia abroad.
“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,” said IAMC President Mohammad Jawad.
Modi has been India’s prime minister since 2014. He was reelected earlier this year.
Hindu nationalism is a political ideology – the term dates back to the 1920s — described as a variant of right-wing extremism, which believes in a homogenized majority. In India, Muslims and Christians are a small — and very often persecuted — minority.
While Modi’s supporters credit him with making India a presence on the global stage, critics accuse him of fanning the flames of Hindu nationalism in India and abroad.
In the U.S., Hindu nationalism can take the form of cultural youth groups, but also online harassment campaigns.
Among the poll’s key findings:
— 90% of survey 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.”
— 80% said they have experienced Islamophobic harassment, discrimination or prejudice from Hindu peers since Modi’s rise to power.
— 70% experienced biased treatment from Hindu colleagues, including being passed over for promotions and receiving anti-Muslim remarks at work.
— 48% reported facing harassment and discrimination on social media channels, describing these experiences as “emotionally exhausting” and “contributing to feelings of isolation and hostility.”
“There is something that is very distinct about what’s happening now,” Sangay Mishra, an associate professor at Drew University in New Jersey and author of “Desis Divided: The Political Lives of South Asian Americans,” told NBC News. “There’s something very specific about Narendra Modi: He wants to be liked in the Western world.”
India is the planet’s most populous country, with 1.43 billion people. It also has the world’s largest diaspora, with 32 million living abroad. The United States was home to about 4.8 million Indian Americans as of 2022, according the U.S. Census Bureau.
The survey respondents live throughout the United States but are concentrated in the larger Indian American population centers in New York, Illinois, Texas and California.
Among its key conclusion, the report’s findings “emphasize the need for enhanced community dialogue, education and policy interventions” in order 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.
