The Strange Overlap: Hare Krishna, O9A, 764, and Josh Sutter

In the world of cults and extremist movements, cross-pollination between ideologies is rare but when it does occur, the results can be deeply unsettling.

One of the most unusual and troubling examples is the overlap between the Hare Krishna Movement (ISKCON), the neo-Nazi occult network known as the Order of Nine Angles (O9A), the online abuse cult 764, and one man who appears to have straddled both worlds: Josh Sutter.

Today, I want to discuss this connection and what it means about cults and extremist groups.

The Hare Krishna Movement (ISKCON)

I recently wrote an Article on this movement. However, for the sake of this article, I will briefly describe it again. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) was founded in 1966 in New York by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Its core beliefs include devotional service to Krishna, vegetarianism, chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, and adherence to strict moral codes.

However, ISKCON has faced serious controversies. In the 1970s and 1980s, there were documented cases of child abuse in ISKCON schools, leading to lawsuits and financial settlements. Publicly available transcripts also record Prabhupada making remarks praising Hitler and denying aspects of the Holocaust during an October 8, 1972 conversation in Berkeley. In a 1977 conversation in Mayapur, he made racist statements suggesting that black people should be “kept under control as slaves” while being provided with food and clothing.

While ISKCON presents itself as a devotional religious movement, these statements and historical abuses have made it subject of intense scrutiny among ex-members and cult-watch researchers, such as myself.

The Order of Nine Angles (O9A)

The Order of Nine Angles emerged in the 1970s in the United Kingdom. It blends “Satanism“, Neo-Nazism, and occult practices into a violent, extremist ideology. One of its core strategies is the use of “insight roles” which means infiltrating other groups, whether political, religious, or cultural to destabilize them or recruit members.

O9A is not just a fringe occult group, it has been linked to several crimes including terrorism, murder and violent extremism. Here are some of the controversies and criminal links:

• Human sacrifice and “culling” — O9A literature advocates killing those deemed “unfit” as a test of commitment.
• Terrorist connections — Members and affiliates have been tied to Atomwaffen Division, National Action (a banned UK neo-Nazi group), and other violent cells.
• Murder cases — Individuals influenced by O9A ideology have been convicted of killings, including ritualistic and extremist-motivated murders.
• Infiltration tactics — The group encourages members to embed themselves in the military, law enforcement, and religious organizations to gain skills and influence.

These activities have led counter-terrorism experts to label O9A as one of the most dangerous extremist networks operating today.

The 764 Cult

The 764 Cult is a decentralized online network involved in coercion, sexual exploitation, and sadistic abuse, often targeting minors. While not formally part of O9A, researchers have noted ideological and aesthetic overlaps, with some 764 members adopting O9A-style rhetoric and symbols.

764 is considered so dangerous that the U.S. Department of Justice has designated it a terrorist “tier one” investigative matter, and the RCMP classifies it as an ideological violent extremist network. Some of the activities they get up to include:

• Child exploitation enterprise — Members have coerced minors (some as young as 13) into producing sexual abuse material, self-harm, and even suicide.
• Self-mutilation rituals — Victims have been forced to carve cult symbols into their bodies.
• Animal abuse and sadism — Some subgroups, such as 764 Inferno, have incorporated acts of animal cruelty into their abuse campaigns.
• Global reach — Victims have been identified in multiple countries, with operations run through encrypted apps like Discord and Telegram.
• Recent arrests — In 2025, alleged leaders Prasan Nepal and Leonidas Varagiannis were Arrested and Charged with running a global child exploitation network linked to 764 Inferno.

These crimes show that 764 is not just an online “edgy” subculture — it is a violent, organized, and predatory network.

Josh Sutter: The Bridge Between Worlds

Josh Sutter is a long-time White Supremacist, O9A/Tempel ov Blood Insider, and FBI Informant. He operated Martinet Press, a publishing house that released O9A-linked extremist texts such as Iron Gates and Liber 333.

What makes Sutter’s case unusual is that he was also initiated into ISKCON as Jatayu Das under Bir Krishna Goswami and ran a Hare Krishna “temple” from his home in South Carolina. During this time, he distributed Hare Krishna books, including standard ISKCON titles like Bhagavad‑gītā As It Is.

This means that while Sutter was publishing violent neo-Nazi occult material, he was simultaneously promoting Krishna devotional literature. Some state that Sutter may have been connected to the 764 cult but not much information has been found on this. Either way, the overlap raises serious questions about whether his Krishna identity was a genuine spiritual pursuit, a cover for extremist activity, or an insight role infiltration consistent with O9A strategy.

Well, if you ask those who are still in Hare Krishna, it’s the latter. However, based on what this cult believes in, I will argue that…

Swami Prabhupada on Women and Race

While the Hare Krishna Movement presents itself as a spiritual path rooted in ancient Vedic wisdom, its founder A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada made a number of recorded statements about women and race that have been widely criticized — both by outsiders and former members.

In multiple lectures, interviews, and conversations, Prabhupada expressed views that:

• Women should never be given full independence, citing the Manu‑saṁhitā.
• Women’s equality with men is “artificial,” claiming they are “dependent by nature.”
• Women’s brains are “smaller” and therefore they “cannot have equal rights.”
• Black people should be “kept under control as slaves,” as stated in a 1977 conversation in Mayapur.

These remarks are preserved in ISKCON’s own transcript archives and have been cited by critics as evidence of sexist and racist attitudes embedded in the movement’s founding leadership. I agree with this sentiment.

Below is a screenshot from Prabhupada The Sun and The Lightning compiled by Raya Nitai Dasa showing Prabhupada’s own words on women:

More screenshots are below from Prabhupada, posted in the R/exHareKrishna Subreddit, where survivors of this cult meet in order to seek community while they recover from the coercive control tactics and manipulation this cult put them through:

His words from a conversation on January 21, 1977 — also from the subreddit:

Daily, people gather online to discuss the harms of this cult, their belief system and its leader. The ISKCON cult denies these statements were problematic. On their website, they dedicate an Entire Page to discussing why Prabhupada’s thoughts on Hitler were actually not what critics are claiming. In fact, he has been known to say lots of insults towards the Jewish community.

The Apologist Narrative

When confronted with A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada’s recorded statements on women, race, and Hitler, many Hare Krishna devotees and ISKCON apologists respond with a familiar set of defenses:

• “It’s cultural context” — claiming that Prabhupada’s remarks simply reflect the norms of the early 20th-century India and should not be judged by modern standards.
• “It’s mistranslation or taken out of context” — suggesting that critics are cherry-picking quotes without the surrounding conversation.
• “He was speaking allegorically” — arguing that controversial statements were meant as metaphors or provocations, not literal beliefs.
• “Focus on the spiritual message” — urging followers to ignore “material” controversies and concentrate on chanting and devotional practice.

While these explanations may be sincere for some devotees, they have the effect of minimizing or normalizing harmful rhetoric. This is not just a matter of historical debate; it creates an environment where sexist, racist, and authoritarian ideas can be repeated without challenge.

In a closed, hierarchical movement like ISKCON, where the founder’s words are treated as absolute and infallible, such attitudes can fester unchecked. This makes the group vulnerable to infiltration by individuals or networks — such as O9A or 764 — who see value in exploiting insular communities with rigid authority structures.

By excusing or downplaying these statements, Hare Krishna leadership and loyalists inadvertently signal tolerance for extremist views, even if they do not share them. That tolerance can be enough for bad actors to embed themselves, recruit, or launder their reputations under the cover of a respected religious identity.

For these reasons, we cannot allow apologetics to override accountability. A movement that refuses to confront its founder’s harmful rhetoric — and the ways it can be weaponized — risks becoming a safe haven for extremist ideology. It appears that’s exactly what Hare Krishna has done and they aren’t thinking of changing their ways anytime soon…

Belief System as a Gateway 

Whether Hare Krishna devotees want to acknowledge it or not, the words and beliefs of their founder send a clear signal about what is acceptable within the movement. When A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada repeatedly made statements that demeaned women, promoted racial hierarchy, and praised Hitler, those ideas became part of the ideological DNA of ISKCON.

In a movement where the founder’s words are treated as absolute truth, these statements are not just historical curiosities: they are living doctrine. That means:

• Followers are conditioned to accept or excuse harmful rhetoric.
• Outsiders with extremist leanings can see ISKCON as a safe space for their views.
• The culture of deference to authority makes it difficult to challenge or reform these ideas from within.

The real issue is not only that this belief system can be infiltrated by extremist groups like O9A and 764, it’s that the system itself fosters sexism, racism, and authoritarianism. This creates fertile ground for hate and discrimination to take root, even without outside influence.

Lokanath Swami

The danger is compounded by ISKCON’s documented history of child sexual abuse. One of the most telling examples is the case of Lokanath Swami:

• In the early 1990s, Lokanath Swami admitted to sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl.
• Instead of reporting the abuse to law enforcement, the Governing Body Commission (GBC) handled it internally, imposing temporary restrictions and requiring an apology — but shielding him from criminal accountability.
• After a few years, he was restored to full guru status and resumed initiating disciples.
• Even after renewed calls for accountability in 2021-2022, the GBC refused to remove him, citing the time elapsed and “sufficiency” of past measures.

This case is proof that ISKCON’s leadership has not fundamentally changed its approach to abuse. The same patterns of minimizing misconduct, protecting high-ranking offenders, and avoiding outside scrutiny persist to this day. The last time we saw this much cover-up was when we Discussed Abuse In The Scientology Cult.

Again, a movement that refuses to confront its founders’ harmful rhetoric — and continues to protect abusers — is not just failing to reform; it is actively maintaining a culture where extremism, misogyny, racism, and sexual abuse can thrive.

When extremist actors from groups like O9A or 764 — which already glorify violence, misogyny, racism, and exploitation — encounter a religious movement that has normalized sexist and racist rhetoric and has a history of shielding predators, the risk is obvious. It is not just infiltration — it is ideological compatibility on certain toxic points, even if the theology is different.

Final Word

The Hare Krishna Movement cannot claim to be a purely spiritual refuge while refusing to confront the harmful aspects of its founder’s words and the crimes committed under its watch. The belief system itself — not just “a few bad apples” — has created conditions where extremism, misogyny, racism, and sexual abuse are not only possible, but can be protected and perpetuated.

When the ideological foundation of a group includes sexist and racist rhetoric, and its leadership has a documented history of shielding abusers — as in the case of Lokanath Swami — it sends a clear message: these behaviours are tolerated. That message is heard not only by devotees, but also by predators and extremists looking for a safe haven.

This is why infiltration groups like O9A and 764 is not just a hypothetical risk, it is a natural consequence of a culture that normalizes harmful views, protects authority at all costs, and fails to protect the vulnerable. Again, we see the same in the Church of Scientology.

Until ISKCON openly rejects and reforms these elements, it will remain a place where dangerous ideologies can hide in plain sight, where hatred of women and racial prejudice can be excused as “tradition,” and where child sexual abuse can be minimized or ignored.

Finally, deep thanks go to ItsMikeSandoval and Skeptic Perspective for their tireless work in discovering, documenting, and exposing the truth about these connections. Their dedication to uncovering uncomfortable facts has made it harder for these patterns to remain hidden and has given survivors, critics, and the public the evidence they need to demand accountability.

If nothing else, may this investigation arm every reader with the truth they need to confront ISKCON’s leadership and demand the accountability that survivors, and the truth itself, have been denied for far too long.

By Beth Gibbons (Queen of Karma)

Beth Gibbons, known publicly as Queen of Karma, is a whistleblower and anti-MLM advocate who shares her personal experiences of being manipulated and financially harmed by multi-level marketing schemes. She writes and speaks candidly about the emotional and psychological toll these so-called “business opportunities” take on vulnerable individuals, especially women. Beth positions herself as a survivor-turned-activist, exposing MLMs as commercial cults and highlighting the cult-like tactics used to recruit, control, and silence members.

She has contributed blogs and participated in video interviews under the name Queen of Karma, often blending personal storytelling with direct confrontation of scammy business models. Her work aligns closely with scam awareness efforts, and she’s part of a growing community of voices pushing back against MLM exploitation, gaslighting, and financial abuse.