Reporters Guides

Hindutva &
Hindu Nationalism

In the past decade, as India has risen on the world stage as a global power, there has been an increased focus among journalists in the West on the ideological foundations of the…

Guidelines for Commercial Use of Hindu Images

Here are some general guidelines for manufacturers, retailers, and marketing departments for where images of Hindu deities and other religious symbols shouldn’t be used.

Reporters Guide to the Swastika

The swastika is one of humanity’s oldest and most consistently used symbols across nearly every human culture. It has more than 10,000 years of positive associations behind it, continuing actively to this day with more than a billion people continuing this tradition.

Reporters Guide to Caste

Caste is one of the most complicated and misunderstood concepts encountered when attempting to understand India and Hinduism. Part of the challenge is that there is no universally accepted definition nor is there a uniformly held…

Short Answers to Real Questions About Hinduism

Have questions about Hinduism? What’s the meaning of the swastika? Do Hindus have commandments? What are the major Hindu holidays? All these questions are answered here, and more.

Correcting Media Portrayals of Hinduism

The following examples are just a small sample of the common omissions, oversights, and errors in media coverage and public discussions of Hinduism.

HAF Guide to Hindu Holidays and Other Dharmic Days

Hindu holidays commemorate a particular deity, season or event in history, but do not necessarily fall on a specific day every year…

Reporters Guide to the 1971 Bengali Hindu Genocide

On March 25, 1971, Pakistan’s military began a 10-month campaign of genocide against the ethnic Bengali and Hindu religious communities in what was then East Pakistan.

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQs about India's Citizenship Amendment Act

What is the CAA? What isn’t the CAA? What about Bangladeshi Muslim migrants who came to India prior to the Citizenship Amendment Act’s cut off date of December 31, 2014? CAA seems unprecedented for a secular democracy. Is it?  Read the FAQs

FAQs about Kashmir and Articles 370/35A

What are Articles 370 and 35A? Are the recent moves to abrogate Articles 370/35A and bifurcate the state democratic? Why have people in Ladakh been wanting to split off from the rest of Kashmir? Why is Pakistan so upset about this? Who are the Kashmiri Pandits? And more… Read the FAQs

Ask An Expert

If you need expert commentary on guidance on all aspects of Hinduism, Hindu culture, and related issues HAF can help. To contact any of the HAF experts below, email mat@hinduamerican.org.

Rishi Bhutada

US Immigration Policy

Samir Kalra

Civil rights; Hate crimes; Hindu human rights; Hinduphobia; Immigration; India; Kashmir

Mat McDermott

Commercial use of Hindu imagery; Hinduism and environment / climate change; Hinduism in the media; Vegetarian diet; Yoga and meditation

Rajiv Pandit

Kashmir

Vijay Satnarine

Caste; Hindu diaspora; Hindu beliefs and culture; Hinduphobia; India; Kashmir; LGBT issues; Vegetarian diet; Yoga and meditation

Sheetal Shah

Yoga and meditation

Suhag Shukla

Caste; Civil rights; Free speech; Hinduism and women; Hinduphobia; India; Religious freedom; Yoga and meditation