Hindu American Leader Sounds Alarm on Mamdani, Says Jews and Hindus Face Common Threats

Suhag Shukla, executive director and co-founder of the Hindu American Foundation, said Jews and Hindus in America face increasingly similar ideological pressures and security concerns, positioning the communities for potential alliance.

In an interview with Rabbi Daniel Schonbuch, Shukla discussed New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, rising Hinduphobia and antisemitism, Islamic terrorism, India-Israel relations and growing Hindu-Jewish cooperation.

The two communities encounter comparable attacks on their identities and political positions. Rabbi Schonbuch noted that "Zionist" Is used as a slur against Jews and Israel supporters, while "Hindutva" Or "Hindu nationalism" Similarly targets Hindus defending India or their religious identity. Shukla attributed hostility toward both groups to political ideologies dividing society into permanent categories of "oppressors" And "oppressed."

She pointed to Mamdani's tenure in the New York State Assembly, saying he had actively attacked another Indian-American legislator who was Hindu, demonstrating how ideology can override shared ethnic or cultural background.

On whether Hinduphobia exists in America, Shukla said, "I think there is absolutely." Anti-Hindu prejudice ranges from stereotypes in educational materials to threats and violence against Hindu institutions and individuals. While acknowledging that anti-Hindu hate crimes remain fewer than antisemitic incidents, she warned that religiously motivated attacks can intimidate entire communities. Hindu Americans, she described, face hostility from elements of both the radical left and far right.

Shukla highlighted shared characteristics between the communities. Both are ancient traditions centered on family, education and religious continuity, and both have survived centuries of persecution while maintaining distinctive identities. She noted India's historic acceptance of Jewish communities, attributing it to Hindu civilization's tradition of religious pluralism.

Both communities share experience confronting Islamist terrorism. Shukla referenced the 2008 Mumbai attacks, in which Pakistani terrorists killed people from India and around the world and specifically targeted the Chabad Jewish center. "There is definitely a shared experience of what it is to be under that threat of terrorism," She said.

The Hindu American Foundation already works with Jewish organizations on religious liberty, education and campus issues, addressing shared concerns about ethnic-studies curricula, ideological extremism and foreign influence within American universities. Shukla said there is "tremendous interest" In strengthening Hindu-Jewish cooperation in the United States, with greater cooperation potentially only beginning.