(WASHINGTON, DC, 9/25/2023) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization, today expressed solidarity with the American and Canadian Sikh communities after the FBI reportedly told some Sikh activists that their lives were at risk due to threats from India’s far-right government. That warning came after the killing of a high-profile Sikh activist in Canada earlier this year.
Canadian officials say they have evidence pointing to Indian government involvement in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, an advocate for an independent Sikh state who was shot outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia in June.
SEE: FBI Warned Sikhs in the U.S. About Death Threats After Killing of Canadian Activist
https://theintercept.com/2023/09/23/sikhs-fbi-canada-india-nijjar/
“We express our solidarity with the Sikh community in the United States and Canada, and we condemn the threat of deadly violence coming from followers and members of India’s far-right government led by Narendra Modi,” said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. “The United States must do everything it can to protect the Sikh American community and others from the threat of the Modi government.”
Awad noted that earlier this year, CAIR similarly expressed solidarity with the Sikh community in North Carolina and nationwide following vandalism targeting a temple in Charlotte, N.C. Awad also noted that many organizations raised concerns about Prime Minister Modi’s government when the Biden administration and U.S. Congress rolled out the red carpet for him in June.
Last week two leading U.S. Sikh organizations, the Sikh Coalition and Sikh American Legal and Education Fund (SALDEF), both raised significant concerns about the issue.
SEE: Sikh Coalition letter Re: Concerns of Indian Transnational Repression in the United States
SEE ALSO: SALDEF Condemns Indian Government’s Reported Involvement in Murder of Sikh Activist in Canada
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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 Research and Advocacy Director Corey Saylor, 202-384-8857, [email protected]; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, [email protected]; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected], CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, [email protected]