THREAD: What do Audrey Truschke and @AnnCoulter have in common? Hatred for Hindus and #Hinduphobia...and randomness on "caste." And, how do you package Hinduphobia, anti-Asian hatred and anti-immigrant hatred in one tweet? See pic below, followed by our response.👇🏾 1/n 
Ms. Khilanani’s remarks are outrageous, but not derived from Hindu philosophy or linked to ANY religion. So why drag in her faith & reference “caste” - that favorite millstone hung around a Hindu American’s neck, no matter which side of the ideological aisle they may be on? 2/n
Firstly, @AnnCoulter is simply ignorant. Ms. Khilanani is NOT an immigrant but born/raised in US. But, she is brown, so that makes her a perpetual "immigrant" +unwelcome. It even makes her unrelated religious background a target. This attitude is un-American & breeds hatred. 3/n
We know all conservatives do not agree with the hate that @AnnCoulter spews at Hindus. Her #Hinduphobia is uniquely mixed with ignorance (eg. using Lakireddy case from 20 years ago to lynch an entire community, ignoring role of the same community in securing his conviction). 4/n
Secondly, @AnnCoulter uses "Hindu = caste" to conclude that Hindus (progressive or not) MUST always & only be defined by "caste culture." This colonial & racist trope thrown at Hindus has resulted in our demonization, including currently in California via "caste resolutions." 5/n
Prof Guha writes:"...proponents of [caste is an ancient and indigenous institution] have increasingly assimilated ‘caste’ to the Western idea of ‘race’. They have also assumed it to be confined to the Hindu segment of the Indian population." 6/n jhiblog.org/2018/05/30/wha…
Prof Guha continues: "This has been a powerful and persistent trope, even though many specialists, such as the veteran sociologist Joseph Elder, have listed seven errors in the popular Western understanding of caste. One of these was that ‘Castes are uniquely Hindu.’" 7/n
The Hinduism=caste trope persists & is reinforced by the likes of @Isabelwilkerson @Oprah & many others who also equate "caste" to "race," the way the Portuguese & Spanish did in Spanish America & beyond - a conflation carried forward by the British. 8/n blackpast.org/global-african…
@AnnCoulter's anti-Hindu hate is shared with & echoed by her polar opposites on the ideological spectrum such as Prof Audrey Truschke, Equality Labs etc., who similarly hurl "caste bombs" at Hindus of any background/ideology if they dare voice opinions. 9/n
Just like our invitation to Prof Truschke, we invite @AnnCoulter & others to #decolonize themselves & reduce their ignorance, understand the colonial & racist origins of "caste" that is used to malign Hinduism/India. Learn something new for a change! 10/n cohna.org/decolonize
Thirdly, @AnnCoulter peddles #Hinduphobia by portraying that Hindus are out to take American jobs (as if we are not Americans), including those reserved for African Americans. This narrative brings back memories of the dangerous #DotBusters era. 11/n nytimes.com/1987/10/12/nyr…
Or, the 2017 murder of Srinivas Kuchibhotla, whose shooter yelled "Get out of my country!" before killing him. Crimes against Hindus & Asian immigrants & statements like those of @AnnCoulter are painful reminders of racism & bigotry in society. 12/n pbs.org/newshour/natio…
@anncoulter's narrative is eerily similar to this item where the Hindu community was being stalked and vilified as "job stealers," raising security concerns for Hindu Americans across the country. 13/n buzzfeednews.com/article/caroli…
@AnnCoulter, America is enriched by contributions of many communities that have made this country our home & embrace the values of liberty, justice, equality freedom. P.S. MLK Jr.'s Civil Rights Movement was inspired by the Hindu idea of "Satyagraha." 14/n biography.com/news/martin-lu…
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