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Anti-Hindu backlash erupts over North Carolina Murugan temple
Plans for a 155-foot Murugan statue in North Carolina triggered online criticism from U.S. conservatives, exposing deep divides over faith, identity, and First Amendment interpretations.
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Anushka Pathak - Tue, 04, Nov 2025
- 12:46 EST
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The proposed Carolina Murugan temple in North Carolina / Courtesy: Carolina Murugan Temple (CMT)
A proposed Murugan temple in Moncure, North Carolina, has become the latest target in growing online backlash against Hindu temples in the United States.
Critics have called the initiative un-American, arguing it runs counter to the ideals of the nation’s Founding Fathers.
The controversy escalated after an independent journalist posted, "Hindus have acquired over a hundred acres for a massive temple complex in the rural town of Moncure, NC. The Tamils plan to build the world’s largest statue of their ‘warrior god’ Murugan, which would be taller than the Statue of Liberty.”
Texas Republican leader Alexander Duncan, previously accused of making anti-Hindu remarks, remarked, "This is not what the Founding Fathers envisioned when they wrote the First Amendment."
Also Read: Texas leader labels Hindu deity’s statue as “false god”
This is not what the Founding Fathers envisioned when they wrote the First Amendment…. https://t.co/tOwSKYuMWa
— Alexander Duncan (@AlexDuncanTX) November 1, 2025
In response to the growing hostility, the Stop Hindu Hate Advocacy Network defended the temple by posting comparisons to Christian monuments in India.
The group wrote: “65 feet statue of Jesus in Puthiragoundampalayam, Salem, Tamil Nadu. Jesus statue at Velankanni Church, Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu. You are spreading ‘love’ in India. We are spreading ‘love’ in North Carolina! Same to same!”
65 feet statue of Jesus in Puthiragoundampalayam, Salem, Tamil Nadu.
— Stop Hindu Hate Advocacy Network (SHHAN) (@HinduHate) November 2, 2025
Jesus statue at Velankanni Church, Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu.
You are spreading "love" in India.
We are spreading "love" in North Carolina!
Same to same! https://t.co/lDrxEf66cD pic.twitter.com/WuXv8uIKq7
Initiated in 2018, the Carolina Murugan Temple project envisions a large cultural and spiritual complex, including a Tamil museum and library. The temple’s website describes it as a symbol of community unity and cultural preservation, with donations and events driving construction efforts.
The temple management has not commented on the matter as of now.
The online debate echoes earlier anti-Hindu incidents, including criticism of a 90-foot Hanuman statue in Texas and backlash against a Ganesh Chaturthi procession.
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