Concern Over Rutgers Report on Increase in Anti-Hindu Disinformation

Floor Speech

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Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Madam Speaker, I rise to express concern following a recent report published by The Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) at Rutgers University on an increase in anti-Hindu disinformation and Hinduphobic rhetoric on social media platforms such as 4chan, Telegram, Gab, and Twitter. As a religious, cultural, and ethnic minority of Indian and Hindu heritage, I am especially concerned that hateful rhetoric and disinformation can serve as a precursor to violence in the real-world.

NCRI's study, which reviewed social media content ranging from January 2019 to June 2022, found that Hinduphobic tropes--such as the portrayal of Hindus as evil, dirty, tyrannical, genocidal, irredeemable, or disloyal--``are prominent across the ideological spectrum and are being deployed by fringe web communities and state actors alike.''

Among many concerning findings, this report exposes that organized non-state actors such as ISIS have mounted disinformation campaigns to suggest that ``Hindu Extremists'' are responsible for attacks proven to be perpetrated by ISIS.

In addition, the study found a proliferation of anti-Hindu attacks in white supremacist communities. Specifically, NCRI identified a growing reference on Twitter to the idea that Hindus are ``pajeets'' who are dirty, backwards, and perverted. Similarly, memes on Twitter in white supremacist channels borrow antisemitic tropes, such as the idea of a ``Zionist Occupied Government.'' Further, the ``pajeet'' slur is found throughout the platform 4Chan and has been used by white supremacists in white nationalist podcasts in reference to violence towards Indians and Indian Americans.

We need not search far and wide to understand how hate speech, and specifically Hinduphobia, can translate to real-world violence perpetrated against innocent civilians. For example, John Earnest, the white supremacist shooter of the Chabad Synagogue in San Diego in 2019, repeatedly referenced ``pajeets'' in his manifesto. This is but one example that warrants our collective attention.

Madam Speaker, we must do everything we can to combat hate and racially and religiously motivate violence against the 2.5 million Hindus living in the United States, the one billion Hindus around the world, and the millions of other religious minorities of all faiths across the globe. As the proud author of the Hate Crimes Commission Act, and cosponsor of recently enacted legislation to encourage the DOJ to prosecute hate crimes against religious, ethnic, and racial minorities, I will continue to fight to combat hate in all its forms, whether it be Hinduphobia, Islamophobia, or any other form of hate. Similarly, as the author of the Anti-Bullying Act and as Co-Chair of the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus, I will continue to fight to combat homophobia and transphobia.

Hinduphobia to date is largely unknown, and the authors of the NCRI study note that ``the essential first step in combating hate speech is to call it out.'' Today, I am endeavoring to use my platform as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives to call out this disturbing trend, a meaningful preliminary action in combating hatred towards a community that contributes greatly to the cultural fabric and economic prosperity of our diverse nation, To that end, I call on all Members of Congress to stand alongside me in condemning this concerning rise in hateful rhetoric and threats of violence.

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