The Hindu American Foundation is pushing forward with their lawsuit against us. We’re fighting back.

Earlier this year, the Hindu American Foundation filed a lawsuit against our co-founders. According to their lawyers, speaking out against Hindu nationalist violence in India and discussing concerns about apparent ties between Hindu supremacist groups and nonprofits in the United States amounts to “defamation” and “libel.”

We knew this allegation was baseless, which is why our lawyers filed a motion to dismiss the case.

Now, HAF has responded. They want to take this case further as a way to silence our advocacy for pluralism and human rights for all.

According to HAF, “This is not just about HAF. This is for our community.” And they’re right. 

We represent an alternative to groups like HAF: an inclusive and progressive Hindu public voice. We are Hindus who believe in the values of shanti (peace), nyaya (justice) and satya (truth) — not just for our own community, but for all people. Now, more than ever, we need your support.

Let’s be clear: We are a two-year old organization with just one full-time staff member. HAF is 18 years old, with 14 employees and a $3 million dollar budget. This lawsuit speaks volumes about the impact of our advocacy and the much-needed progressive voice we represent.

We’re grateful to have received an overwhelming amount of community support ever since HAF filed their lawsuit. Over 400 academics, scholars, and writers have expressed support for our work, and so have 40 South Asian diaspora organizations from around the world.

We may not yet have HAF’s numbers, but we know we’re on the right side of history. Will you stand with us?