HfHR’s Anti-Israel, Anti-Netanyahu Protest Triggers Row; Hindu Groups Demand US Ban on HfHR.

We are Pro-Hamas and Anti-Isreal: HfHR. BAN HFHR IN USA.

Pro-Islamist HfHR Activists Take to New York Streets Against Netanyahu; Calls Grow to Ban the Organisation in the US.

Upananda Brahmachari | HENB | New Delhi | Sept 26, 2026:: Prominent Islamist and Hindutva-opposing activist and Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR) co-founder Sunita Viswanath was among the New Yorkers arrested on Thursday, September 24, during a mass protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the United Nations. HfHR was among the organisations supporting the action, which was led by its partners, Jewish Voice for Peace. HfHR members also participated in other protests and a large march against Netanyahu’s visit.

Protesters occupied streets near the United Nations, chanting and singing while demanding an end to the killing in Gaza and to US arms supplies and funding for Israel. Their slogans included “Fund people, not bombs” and “Stop the killing, stop the bombs.” More than 100 people were arrested during the Jewish Voice for Peace action. Among those who participated were actors Susan Sarandon and Indya Moore, Chelsea Manning, Linda Sarsour, Medea Benjamin, Aber Kawas, Brad Lander and New York City Councilmember Chi Ossé.

For HfHR, participation in the protest was described as an act of satyagraha, the tradition of nonviolent resistance associated with Mahatma Gandhi. Amid extensive security surrounding the UN General Assembly, participants knowingly risked arrest to insist that Netanyahu’s arrival in New York could not pass without public opposition and that he should be held accountable in the public arena for what they described as crimes committed against Palestinians in Gaza.

However, critics have pointed to what they describe as a striking contrast in HfHR’s activism. They argue that activists who have taken to the streets in New York to protest Israel and express solidarity with Palestine have not demonstrated comparable public opposition to the Hamas-led attacks of October 2023, in which Israeli civilians were killed and hostages were taken. Critics contend that the organisation’s activism therefore appears heavily focused on condemning Israel while giving insufficient attention to the violence perpetrated by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups.

The criticism has also intensified over HfHR’s broader ideological positioning. Critics of the organisation allege that it has used a Hindu identity in its name while pursuing positions that they regard as hostile to Hindu nationalist organisations and causes. They have consequently questioned whether an organisation with such a name should continue to represent itself publicly under the Hindu identity and have called for legal scrutiny of HfHR’s activities and organisational status in the United States.

Continuing Anti-Hindutva Activities by HfHR

Recently, HfHR also prepared to protest Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who appeared on a provisional list of UN speakers. Following HfHR’s protests against RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s visit to New York, the organisation said it learned that India’s address at the UN would instead be delivered by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.

HfHR subsequently described Modi’s absence from the UN podium as a victory for those who had challenged what it called the public promotion of Hindu nationalism in New York during Mohan Bhagwat’s controversial appearance at Madison Square Garden the previous month.

The organisation’s position has further fuelled criticism from Hindu groups in the United States, who accuse HfHR of selectively invoking Hindu identity while opposing Hindu nationalist organisations and political figures. They argue that Hindu organisations should examine the organisation’s activities through appropriate legal channels and explore whether its use of the Hindu identity in its name and representation is consistent with applicable US laws and organisational requirements.

The controversy surrounding HfHR therefore extends beyond its opposition to Netanyahu’s visit. It has become part of a wider dispute over the organisation’s political positions, its advocacy on the Israel-Palestine conflict, its relationship with progressive and pro-Palestinian organisations, and its opposition to Hindu nationalist movements in India and the United States.

Deamand intensifies: Ban HfHR

Against this backdrop, Hindu organisations and activists in the United States are increasingly calling for a thorough legal and regulatory review of Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR), including its activities, funding, advocacy and use of Hindu identity. They are demanding that, if any violations of US law or organisational regulations are established, appropriate legal action should follow, including a ban or revocation of HfHR’s legal status in the United States. The demand reflects a broader contention among its critics that an organisation operating under a Hindu identity should not, in their view, use that identity while promoting positions they regard as hostile to Hindu nationalist organisations and causes.

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_Agency Inputs.