Dallas Muslim Advocacy Groups Condemn Economic Boycott Calls After Hindu Extremists' Hate Speech Event
The Dallas chapter of the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) and interfaith partners strongly condemned calls for an economic boycott of Dallas Muslims made by Kajal Singhala, an India-based Hindu extremist leader, during a June 29, 2025 event at Bhartiya Nivas organized by two U.S.-based Hindu nationalist nonprofits, marking the latest incident in what civil rights groups describe as the transnational spread of religious extremism from India to American communities.
The controversial remarks were delivered despite widespread pre-event opposition from civil rights organizations, Christian leaders, and interfaith groups who had warned that Singhala would likely incite Islamophobic hatred. According to a statement published on the Global Hindu Heritage Foundation's website, Singhala repeatedly used derogatory terms to refer to Muslims and explicitly called for economic discrimination against the Dallas Muslim community.
The incident has prompted calls for federal investigation, visa revocation, and renewed scrutiny of tax-exempt organizations that provide platforms for hate speech in the United States.
Documented Hate Speech at Dallas Event
According to the Global Hindu Heritage Foundation's summary of Singhala's speech, the extremist leader made direct calls for economic discrimination against Muslims in Dallas. The statement quotes Singhala as saying she "stressed the importance of supporting Hindu carpenters, milkmen, plumbers, electricians, and others, and not giving business to jihadis [slur for Muslims] to save a few rupees, because that money could be used to harm your fathers and brothers."
The event was organized by the Global Hindu Heritage Foundation (GHHF) and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA), two organizations that civil rights groups have identified as promoting anti-Muslim and anti-Christian rhetoric. Context Corner reported that the event took place at Bhartiya Nivas despite significant opposition from local advocacy groups.
"Kajal Singhala's speech was hateful, dangerous and a direct incitement to economically marginalize an entire community based on their religion. This is the same dangerous rhetoric that has fueled violence in India, and it has no place in a city like Dallas," an IAMC Dallas representative stated.
Profile of a Prolific Hate Speaker
Kajal Singhala, also known as Kajal Hindustani, has been identified by India Hate Lab as one of the most prolific hate speakers in India today. According to research data cited by Context Corner, Singhala delivered 35 in-person hate speeches in 2023 alone, with nine of those including explicit calls for violence.
The pattern continued into 2024, when she gave 23 hate speeches, including four that directly called for violence and 10 that advocated for economic boycotts against Muslims, according to IAMC documentation. Rural India Online reported that Singhala topped the list of individuals responsible for the most hate speeches in India during 2023.
The Indian news outlet The Quint has described Singhala as a symbol of "hate politics," highlighting her role in promoting religious division and hostility, according to IAMC's statement. Her speeches have consistently incited Hindus to take action against Muslims and Christians while calling for their economic and social boycotts.
Pre-Event Warnings Went Unheeded
The June 29 event proceeded despite significant opposition from multiple civil rights and religious organizations. IAMC had publicly called for the event's cancellation on June 26, warning that Singhala would likely incite Islamophobic hatred, according to their official statement.
"We cannot allow the language of hate and violence to find a home in American communities. Inviting someone like Kajal, who has repeatedly incited violence and called for the exclusion of entire religious communities is dangerous," IAMC President Mohammad Jawad stated in the organization's pre-event warning.
More than 30 Christian leaders and churches from across the United States and India also signed a joint statement condemning the event. The statement, released by the New York State Council of Churches and The Religious Nationalisms Project, warned that hosting Singhala sent "a dangerous signal that religious hatred and violent rhetoric are welcome here," according to Ecumenical News.
Broader Context of Rising Hate Speech
The Dallas incident occurs against a backdrop of dramatically increasing hate speech targeting religious minorities. NewsClick reported that India documented 1,165 verified instances of in-person hate speech events in 2024, representing a staggering 74.4% increase from the 668 incidents recorded in 2023.
According to the India Hate Lab 2024 report, these speeches were not isolated incidents but part of "a coordinated strategy, largely orchestrated by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its affiliate Hindu nationalist organisations," NewsClick reported.
In the United States, Context Corner documented that the Council on American-Islamic Relations received 8,658 complaints of Islamophobia in 2024—the highest number since tracking began in 1996, marking a 7.3% increase from the previous year. Texas has been particularly affected, with recent incidents including vandalism at three Austin mosques in May 2025.
Organizational History of Extremist Platforming
The VHPA and GHHF have previously provided platforms for extremist figures from India. In 2021, VHPA planned to host Yati Narsinghanand, a Hindu monk who had publicly called for genocide against Muslims. However, that event was canceled following widespread public outcry, according to IAMC documentation.
GHHF has an established track record of anti-Christian activity, including organizing a 2022 fundraiser that sought to finance the demolition of churches in India, according to statements from Christian leaders reported by Ecumenical News.
"This is not the first time VHPA and its affiliates have invited extremist figures from India," IAMC noted in their statement, highlighting the pattern of providing American platforms for individuals with documented histories of inciting violence.
Rural India Online reported that the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and its youth wing, Bajrang Dal, were responsible for organizing 216 hate speech events in India during 2023, making them the top organizers of such incidents.
Calls for Federal Investigation and Action
IAMC Dallas has made several specific demands for federal action in response to the incident. The organization called on the Dallas Police Department to open an investigation into the hate speech incident. It urged elected officials in Dallas and across Texas to publicly condemn the divisive rhetoric.
The group also demanded that the U.S. Department of State revoke Kajal Singhala's visa and initiate immediate steps for her removal from the United States. Additionally, IAMC called for an IRS investigation into the tax-exempt status of both VHPA and GHHF under Section 501(c)(3).
"We call on our elected officials, law enforcement, and federal agencies to take this threat seriously and act before such imported extremism causes real harm here in our country," the IAMC Dallas statement concluded.
The organization specifically requested an investigation into the groups' "financial ties to the Indian government and Hindu nationalist groups, and whether they violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA)."
National and International Response
The incident has drawn attention from interfaith coalitions and civil rights organizations beyond Dallas. Rev. Neal Christie, Principal of The Religious Nationalisms Project, told Counterview that "within 24 hours, we gathered signatures from a broad-based and ecumenical group of Christian clergy and laity" representing "a wide spectrum of Christian denominations—Methodist, Lutheran, Baptist, Anglican, Presbyterian".
The joint Christian statement emphasized that "Hindutva ideology has fueled attacks on churches, the criminalization of religious conversion, and the persecution of clergy across India." It warned that "allowing its proponents a platform in the U.S. sends a chilling message of tolerance for religious hatred," according to Ecumenical News.
Religious leaders specifically called attention to the threat such rhetoric poses to diverse American communities. Martin Padeti, Director of the Texas Indian Christian Coalition, was among the signatories to the statement by Christian leaders condemning the event.
Impact on Local Muslim Community
The economic boycott calls have raised particular concerns about their potential impact on Dallas's Muslim business community. The explicit targeting of Muslim-owned businesses for economic discrimination represents what civil rights advocates describe as a form of economic warfare based on religious identity.
IAMC emphasized that such rhetoric has real-world consequences, noting that similar calls in India have led to actual violence and economic marginalization of Muslim communities. The organization highlighted the danger of importing such divisive tactics into American communities where religious and economic diversity are foundational values.
The Dallas Muslim community, like many across Texas, includes immigrants from various countries as well as American-born Muslims who have built businesses and contributed to the local economy for generations.
Legal and Constitutional Implications
Legal experts note that while hate speech enjoys broader protection under the First Amendment than in many other countries, calls for economic boycotts based on religious identity may cross legal boundaries when they constitute incitement to discrimination or harassment.
The specific demands for an IRS investigation into VHPA and GHHF's tax-exempt status raise questions about whether organizations that platform hate speech should maintain their charitable tax benefits. The Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) inquiry relates to potential undisclosed ties to foreign governments or political organizations.
Civil rights attorneys have noted that the incident highlights gaps in how hate speech targeting religious minorities is addressed when it occurs through religious or cultural organizations that claim protected status.
Broader Pattern of Transnational Extremism
The Dallas incident exemplifies what researchers describe as the transnational spread of religious extremism, where ideologies and tactics developed in one country are exported to diaspora communities abroad. IAMC has characterized this as "a textbook example of the transnational export of extremism, where ideologies rooted in hate and division are being brought into our neighborhoods under the guise of culture or community".
Counterview reported that diaspora organizations have become increasingly concerned about "what it describes as the 'transnational spread' of religious and political extremism from South Asia to diaspora communities abroad".
This pattern extends beyond individual events to include systematic efforts to influence American Hindu communities through the promotion of Hindu nationalist ideology originally developed in India.
Community Response and Policy Implications
As the Dallas Muslim community and its allies respond to this incident, the case is likely to test how effectively American institutions can address imported religious extremism while protecting legitimate religious and cultural expression.
The response from local elected officials, law enforcement agencies, and federal authorities will be closely watched by civil rights organizations and religious communities nationwide. The incident may prompt broader discussions about the responsibilities of tax-exempt organizations and the limits of protected speech in religious contexts.
The effectiveness of IAMC's calls for investigation and action will likely influence how similar incidents are addressed in other American cities with significant South Asian diaspora populations. The case highlights the ongoing challenge of maintaining religious freedom and diversity while preventing the normalization of hate speech and discrimination in American communities.
The Dallas incident represents more than a local controversy—it embodies fundamental questions about how America responds to the global spread of religious extremism and whether existing legal and institutional frameworks are adequate to protect vulnerable communities from systematic campaigns of discrimination and marginalization imported from abroad.