GeoPolitics leaves Canadian Hindu Minority Open to Hate

Can geopolitical tension be used to justify hate against a minority? The beleaguered Hindu minority in Canada is certainly grappling with this question, as the recent spat with India has had an immediate and direct impact on their security and freedom of religion.

Numerous Hindu temples across the country have been defaced, had their festival celebrations disrupted, and have faced threats for hosting an M.P. The rising tide of hate in Canada has the Hindu community fearing for their safety. 

Calls to deport the Hindu community have increased, with incidents like the Wasaga Beach and Brampton gas station scandals and the vitriol against the Hanuman statue on private temple property, to name a few. This trend needs to be taken seriously, as academic research on Hinduphobia and Khalistani bots has warned about the risk of online hate translating into real-world consequences. 

Hinduphobia has permeated even educational institutions, with students experiencing hostility on university campuses.

Lack of Institutional Support and Silence from Lawmakers

Despite the increase in religiously targeted attacks, Canadian lawmakers have been relatively quiet and have offered little action to address the fears of the Hindu community. Some politicians, like M.P. Sukh Dhalival, have instead pursued harmful narratives and proposed reopening the 1985 Air India bombing case—a tragedy already attributed to Khalistani terrorists. This has done nothing but traumatize the victims, dishonor the dead, and divert attention from real issues of present-day hate. 

A concerning CBC survey revealed that over 90% of Canadians, including many law enforcement officers, remain unaware of the Air India bombing—the deadliest terrorist attack in Canadian history, in which all 329 people on board the flight were killed. This is a direct outcome of Canadian institutions downplaying an attack that killed 258 of its own citizens. And the lack of awareness about this tragic event has allowed misinformation and harmful narratives to thrive, endangering the safety of the Hindu community. 

Canadian Media Complicity

In such an environment of hostility towards Hindu Canadians, the media could play an important role in highlighting atrocities and hate incidents. However, Canadian media outlets, particularly the public-funded CBC, have largely suppressed reporting on local Hinduphobic attacks. Instead, they have provided platforms to individuals like Gurpatwant Singh Pannun of Sikhs for Justice—a figure who frequently issues threats against Hindu Canadians and even threatens aviation safety. 

This is a gross failure of responsibility for a public broadcaster like CBC. Even more concerning is the anchor allowing Pannun to reiterate his racist rhetoric, accusing “Indo-Canadians” of being disloyal to Canada without any challenge. This language closely mirrors Pannun’s earlier call for “Indo-Hindus to leave Canada” and his slandering of Hindu advocacy organizations, including CoHNA.  

CBC is well aware that tropes around dual loyalty are a time-tested way of silencing and suppressing minorities, so the failure to challenge Pannun’s inflammatory language and baseless allegations is a serious lapse in journalistic responsibility. And as went to print, more public threats were issued against airlines, we assume with no consequence again.

These media actions mirror troubling instances in the UK, where figures with extremist sympathies were given similar platforms. For example, in 2022 the BBC and the Guardian gave outsized credence to Majid Freeman, an ISIS sympathizer, presenting him as a “community activist” and using his quotes to pin the blame for community violence on Hindus alone. Two years later, Freeman was convicted of public order offenses for inciting violence, yet none of the publications that platformed Majid apologized for the harm done.

An Appeal to Democratic Institutions 

The rise of Hinduphobia in Canada should serve as a wake-up call for lawmakers, law enforcement, and the media. CoHNA asks Canadian lawmakers to take concrete action to protect them from the growing threat of hate and violence. Strengthening protections for Hindu temples and ensuring that law enforcement takes Hinduphobic incidents seriously are crucial steps. 

Similarly, the media must avoid giving platforms to those who incite division and instead promote a fair and balanced representation of Hindu Canadians, showcasing their positive contributions to the country. 

Protecting Canada’s Ethos of Diversity

The safety and well-being of Canadian Hindus must be a priority for all those who value Canada’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. International disputes are not an excuse to harm any community within the country, and the onus to ensure this lies squarely on Canadian lawmakers.