New Survey Reveals 80% of Indian-American Muslims Experience Islamophobic Discrimination and Exclusion by Hindu Nationalist Peers

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Safa Ahmed, Associate Media Director 

media.info@iamc.com

Washington D.C. (Sept 18, 2024) – A new survey, “The Detrimental Effects of Hindu Nationalism on Indian American Muslims”, conducted by the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) and ReThink Media has revealed alarming trends regarding the rise of Hindu nationalism within the Indian diaspora in the United States and its profound impact on Indian American Muslims.  

The survey, which polled 950 Indian American Muslims, offers 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, leading to increased Islamophobic discrimination, exclusion, and emotional distress.

Among the survey’s key findings are: 

• Over 80% of survey respondents experienced Islamophobic harassment, discrimination, or prejudice from Hindu friends or social contacts over the past decade since Modi’s rise to power. 
• 70% of respondents experienced biased treatment from Hindu colleagues, including being passed over from promotions and anti-Muslim remarks at work. 48% of survey 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 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.”

Key Conclusions:

• 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 U.S.
• Indian American Muslims are experiencing the dissolution of longstanding social, workplace, and community bonds over anti-Muslim sentiment from some of their Hindu peers who have absorbed the bigoted ideology of the Modi regime.
• Social media platforms have been weaponized 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 conflation of the political ideology of Hindu Nationalism with the religion of Hinduism has dangerously allowed the supremacist movement to penetrate U.S. cultural and progressive spaces, further isolating Indian Americans.

“This 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,” said IAMC executive director Rasheed Ahmed. 

“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. 

The survey respondents are located throughout the United States but are concentrated in the larger Indian American population centers in New Jersey, New York, Illinois, Texas, and California. The report’s findings emphasize the need for enhanced community dialogue, education, and policy interventions to address the growing divide and ensure the inclusion and safety of Indian American Muslims.