For decades, the United States has been the cultural and economic epicentre of the global village. However, that influence is currently being leveraged to broadcast a rising anti-Indian sentiment. From online posts to religious pastors, everyone in the country has jumped on the anti-Indian and anti-Hindu bandwagon for clout, inciting fears of the community and religion in the public. The latest flashpoint involves Pastor Joel Webbon and provocateur Alex Stein, whose recent collaboration on ‘After Hours with Alex Stein’ podcast has been widely condemned as a masterclass in religious intolerance.Webbon and Stein, both known for their controversial remarks on Indians and Hindus were discussing the change of demographics in Texas where Indians have allegedly taken over the state’s jobs, housing and communities. In the clip going viral on X, Stein claimed Hindus “like to worship the cow, they drink the cow pee, they eat the cow poop,” while asking Webbon to comment on how the religion is demonic and ranks in levels of “craziness” in religions. “Is Hinduism crazier than Scientology?” he asked. “Hinduism is insanely demonic,” replied Webbon, reasoning that the religion is not monotheistic and has “millions of gods.” The controversial pastor stuck to his rhetoric while also alleging that videos showed Hindus pouring “blood-looking liquid” on themselves, sacrificing animals and drinking their blood. “It’s very pagan, very demonic, polytheistic and very satanic,” he said while claiming that the religion sends one to hell. Stein added to the criticism while saying that Hinduism does not align with Western cultural values and Indians were committing H-1B fraud to turn northern Texas into “Little Mumbai, India.”The far-right conservatives received massive flak online for their criticism of Hinduism and its description as “demonic.”Sridhar Vembu, founder of Zoho Corporation slammed the comments in an X post writing, “Arrogant, intolerant monotheism – see the video below – that goes around labelling reverence for all of nature as “demonic” and “satanic”- that belief is what makes men do evil. History supplies ample evidence. Hindus did not run crusades. Hindus did not burn witches at the stake. Hindus did not invade nations and enslave people in the name of bringing “Civilisation” and “God” to “pagans”.““Crazy how Hinduism is the only religion among those he mentioned that never said ‘Follow this religion or you’ll rot in hell.’ Definitely something a devil would say to inflict fear and lure people into their cult, yet somehow Hinduism is the demonic one here, sure,” wrote an X user. “It’s business for them. If they don’t label Hinduism as pagan or demonic, then conversions cannot happen, and the Church will not make money. They have always been deliberately myopic and narrow-minded where Hinduism is concerned,” added another. Joel Webbon, a self-proclaimed Christian nationalist and controversial podcaster was recently trolled for claiming women need to “shut up.” In a podcast episode with co-host Wesley Todd, he said women must stay quiet in the public square, civil positions of government, in the church and in the household. In November 2025, he asked FBI director Kash Patel to go back to India and worship ‘demons’ over a simple Diwali greeting on social media. Alex Stein, a YouTuber, had recently gone viral for his satirical speech at a Plano City Council meeting where he similarly mocked Hindu religious beliefs and practices while being dressed in a yellow kurta, black shorts, slippers and a red tilak on his forehead. After the hike in H-1B visa fee leading to a fall in Indians arriving in America, influencers and far-right commentators have turned the attacks inwards targeting Indians and Hindus inside the country, particularly in states where they form a majority such as Texas. In 2022, research by the Network Contagion Research Institute at Rutgers University documented this pattern where social media was systematically weaponised to target Hindu communities often by bots and geopolitical players. It also warned Hindu communities to be cautious since hate online often tends to slip into the physical world.
