Back in November 2024, HAF did what every advocacy group does—put out a standard statement welcoming engagement with the new administration. No endorsement, no grand declaration—just basic advocacy. And somehow, that was enough to send @AARWeb Hinduism scholars into a spiral, dedicating an entire academic session to attacking HAF. From conspiracy theories about a nonexistent "Hindu American Project 2025" to calling yoga practitioners “cottage industry gurus” and tying Take Back Yoga to “fascist violence”—this is next-level absurdity. And when we tried to engage? We got a straight-up get lost. So much for academic dialogue. At the end of the day, this isn’t about debate—it’s about gatekeeping Hinduism. But here’s the thing: HAF isn’t playing by those rules. We’re here, we’re advocating, and we’re not going anywhere. HAF’s Executive Director @SuhagAShukla has a hot take, and you don’t want to miss this one.
