Meeting Addressing Rise in Hate Crimes Targeting Hindus Held by Raja Krishnamoorthi

July 4 :
Last week, at a briefing called by Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, senior DOJ officials, and Indian American lawmakers discussed the DOJ's plan to combat hate crimes perpetrated against Hindus in the US.

Damage to mandirs is one target of this initiative's response efforts. Congressman Krishnamoorthi spearheaded a letter to the DOJ earlier this year that detailed vandalism events against mandirs from New Jersey to California and other threats that the American Hindu community faces, especially on social media. This letter spurred the meeting.

The United States has seen an upsurge in hate crimes in the past several months. An increase in crimes motivated by prejudice against Hindu Americans was reported to New India Abroad in May by Samir Kalra, managing director of policy and programs at the Hindu American Foundation (HAF). Hate crimes, such as the vandalism of temples and the harassing of worshippers, were on the rise in the years 2023 and 2024, according to HAF.

He had previously stated that the community has been subjected to "increasing harassment as well as hate on social media," citing the fact that many Hindus had supported Jews during the height of anti-semitism.

Krishnamoorthi told reporters "Last week’s meeting was an important starting point for addressing the threats posed by Hinduphobia as the rate of hate crimes across the nation grows and as American Hindus and their places of worship face harassment, vandalism, and even graver dangers" .

He went on to say: "Although the DOJ has promised to reach out to the Hindu American community more, there are still big obstacles to overcome before we can ensure that no American community is safe from hate crimes, including Hindus."

Three San Francisco Bay Area Hindu temples were allegedly the focus of hate crimes in January of this year. Last month, prominent Hindu organizations such as the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) also hosted a gathering to inform Hindus about the tools they can use to fight racism, sexism, and hate crimes.