*UPDATE: Since the publication of this news release, Congressman Kweisi Mfume (MD-07) has confirmed to CAIR that he plans to boycott Thursday’s Joint Meeting of Congress honoring Modi.
(WASHINGTON, DC, 6/21/2023) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization, today welcomed pledges by members of Congress to boycott Thursday’s Joint Meeting of Congress honoring India’s far-right, anti-Muslim Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
To date, the following members have announced their intent to choose religious freedom over honoring Modi’s repression of Indian Christians and Muslims: Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.). CAIR anticipates more members making the same ethical choice.
SEE: Tweet by @pia_kutts of The Print India
“Leaders do the right thing in the face of pressure to comply with bad ethics. Boycotting any event honoring Prime Minister Modi centers our value of religious freedom over cynical politics,” said CAIR Research and Advocacy Director Corey Saylor. “We applaud these elected officials and urge others to join their leadership.”
Saylor added: “The honor of a State Dinner and Joint Meeting of Congress signals to Modi that no one will interfere in his repression of Indian religious minorities and journalists.”
CAIR has issued a video call and action alert calling on voters to urge their members of Congress to boycott Modi’s visit.
Video: Urge Your Members of Congress to Boycott Modi’s Visit
Also yesterday, Reuters reported that a “total of 75 Democratic senators and members of the House of Representatives” sent a letter to President Biden asking him to raise religious freedom issues with Prime Minister Modi.
SEE: Dozens of US lawmakers urge Biden to raise rights issues with Modi, letter shows
BACKGROUND
The U.S. Department of State’s recent Report on International Religious Freedom expressed concern regarding the treatment of Muslims, Christians and other religious minorities in India and highlighted violence by law enforcement and pro-government Hindu nationalists targeting Muslims. A few weeks earlier, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom’s (USCIRF) “2023 Annual Report” again recommended that the State Department designate India as a “Country of Particular Concern.”
This year, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) rated journalism in India as less free than in Afghanistan. RSF reports that “all the mainstream media are now owned by wealthy businessmen close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.” RSF adds, “At the same time, Modi has an army of supporters who track down all online reporting regarded as critical of the government and wage horrific harassment campaigns against the sources.”
SEE: Asia – Pacific Sclerotic one-party regimes and media control by oligarchs
The Hindutva movement is at the core of anti-Muslim, anti-Christian, and anti-minority persecutions in India. They have also stoked hatred between Muslim and Hindu groups in the U.S.
Earlier this year, two Muslim organizations condemned the screening of The Kerala Story, an anti-Muslim Indian film, in American theatres. The film has been widely criticized for its reportedly bigoted depiction of Islam and Muslims.
SEE: CAIR, IAMC Condemn Screening of Anti-Muslim Indian Film in U.S. Theaters
Last year, U.S. groups protested speaking engagements featuring anti-Muslim, anti-Christian Hindu extremist leader Sadhvi Ritambhara. Ritambhara’s hate speeches have been described as “the single most powerful instrument for whipping up anti-Muslim violence” in various Indian states, leading to communal riots and thousands of deaths. Ritambhara is also well known for her anti-Christian hate and bigotry. She has suggested that if Christian missionaries were attempting to convert people in India and that if even a “single Hindu is converted, Christians will be wiped out from the face of India.”
In New Jersey last year, the Indian Business Association (IBA), organized an India Independence Day parade in Edison and Woodbridge which featured a bulldozer, which has become a symbol of anti-Muslim animus in the context of India. Following local condemnations, IBA issued an apology.
In 2005, the State Department denied Modi a visa to visit the U.S due to his persecution of minority faiths in Gujarat, where he served as Chief Minister.
SEE: CAIR Applauds Denial of Visa To Narendra Modi
If you want to learn more about CAIR’s efforts to support Christians, Dalits, Muslims, Sikhs, and other minorities who face unjust discrimination and wanton violence, please read this release.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com