Newsletter (Jun 2024): IAMC in Time Magazine, Human Rights Report Released, and More
As salamu alaykum!
Time Magazine. An internationalist San Francisco Radio show. Media outlets, both local and international. These are just a few of the places IAMC has been featured this month – be sure to read and listen to everything we’ve put out!
Here’s our bullet point summary.
BULLET POINT SUMMARY:
- IAMC Executive Director Rasheed Ahmed published in Time Magazine
- Released IAMC quarterly report covering human rights abuses in India
- IAMC perspective on Indian issues quoted in14 national and international news outlets
- Interview on Hindu Supremacism in KPFK’s Freedom Now! radio show
- And more!
Keep scrolling to learn more about each of these achievements in detail.
IAMC IN TIME MAGAZINE
We’ve hit the pages of Time Magazine. In an important op-ed published on June 29, IAMC Executive Director Rasheed Ahmed raised awareness about the plight of Rohingya refugees in India, BJP leaders’ anti-Rohingya hate speech during elections, and the need for stricter protections for this vulnerable minority group.
Here’s our top of the hour: “India’s progressive forces and the international community can use this momentum to push back against the Modi regime’s past abuses and secure reforms that benefit the Rohingya settled in India—along with the many more likely to seek refuge in the future.”
Read the full piece here.
IAMC ON INDIAN ELECTIONS & STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT
Our goal was to get Indian elections on as many people’s radar as possible throughout June. Four news outlets quoted IAMC representatives in Texas and New Jersey on the impact of a third Modi term on Indian Muslims, including those in the diaspora.
You can read their statements on the elections in the following stories:
- Texas Standard and Houston Public Media: Across Houston, Indian Americans respond to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reelection
- Chron: How have recent elections affected Texas’ massive Indian population?
- North Jersey: NJ Indian Americans react to Prime Minister Modi’s surprisingly close election victory
We also made a strong case for designating India as Country of Particular Concern (CPC) based on the US State Department’s recently published International Religious Freedom (IRF) report.
Read them here:
- Times of India: Concerning increase in anti-conversion laws, hate speech in India: Blinken
- The New Indian Express: Increase in anti-conversion laws, hate speech for minorities in India concerning: Blinken
- The Telegraph: Increase in anti-conversion laws, hate speech for minorities in India concerning: Antony Blinken
- Business Standard: Rise in anti-conversion laws, hate speech in India concerning: Blinken
You can also keep up with all of our press mentions here.
OUR QUARTERLY REPORT
We released our first quarterly report for this year, documenting major hate crimes, mob lynching cases, and the pervasive use of hate speech by BJP leaders during Indian elections between January and April 2024.
You can read the full report here.
IAMC ON AIR & IN THE MEDIA
Catch us on the air! Last month, KPFK’s Freedom Now!, a radio show that covers world affairs and the plight of oppressed groups globally, interviewed IAMC Associate Media Director Safa Ahmed. You can listen to Safa talk about Modi’s past with the RSS, Hindutva, and its parallels with Zionism here.
Be sure to also check out IAMC General Secretary Ishaq Ahmed’s op-ed for Cal Matters: Indian Americans have a role to play in educating Californians about Hindu nationalism.
GRASSROOTS SOCIAL MEDIA WORKSHOP
We’re proud to announce that our Chapter Development Team organized a successful social media workshop on June 23rd. Nearly 150 of our grassroots advocates from chapters across the country joined to hear from social media influencers Amina Kausar, Suha Syed, and Fatima Baig, who gave a rundown on how to channel activism through Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.
If you’re interested in more workshops like this or have ideas for other trainings we can host, contact IAMC Associate Director Amin Zama at amin@iamc.com.
OTHER CHAPTER ACTIVITIES
Boston
- Planned summer and early fall events, such as an Indian Independence Day commemoration in August, a Youth conference in September, and the Annual Fundraiser in October
- Attended the Social Media Workshop organized by the IAMC Chapter Development Department
- Participated in a discussion along with our coalition partners ‘Celebrating People’s Resistance in South Asia’ highlighting the positives and wins from India’s national elections 2024. This event was organized by Boston South Asian Coalition
Chicago
- Hosted a volunteer appreciation dinner to thank our hard working volunteers for their contributions to the IAMC Chicago fundraiser last month, with special thanks to volunteer leads Saber Ali and Ghousia Wajid for managing over two dozen volunteers during a sold-out event.
- Planned a new initiative to host programs at masajids to inform people about IAMC and our work, raise educational awareness on the threats of Hindutva in the US and abroad, and talk about the efforts we are making to combat it.
More
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