Apartheid in Ahmedabad
When segregation in the United States was legally ended in the 1960s, the government passed laws that sought to integrate the races, like the Fair Housing Act. It prevented discrimination in the buying and selling of properties which was keeping the races separate. All across Gujarat, in all major cities and in several towns, the government has done the opposite. Muslims are deliberately forced into ghettos through a law called the ‘Gujarat Prohibition of Transfer of Immovable Property and Provision for Protection of Tenants
‘Our Muslim brothers are with us’: Sikh-Muslim Solidarity at Farmers’ Protest
Tens of thousands of farmers who perceive three farm laws passed by the BJP government as highly detrimental to their interests, have been protesting for about two months in Punjab, before arriving on the borders of Delhi to launch their protests. Since November 26, hundreds of thousands of farmers have converged on Delhi borders in the face of the Modi government which prevented them from entering the national Capital. The protest sites are hotspots of communal harmony. Sikh farmers encircle the Muslim farmers so
Indian police use violence as a shortcut to justice. It’s the poorest who bear the scars
As dawn broke on a day commemorating India's freedom, one by one the men were taken from their cell to be interrogated for up to 30 minutes, according to a complaint subsequently filed to police, and seen by CNN. They were bound, stripped, beaten, abused and, according to two people in the group, tortured sexually and told to confess. Many returned to their cell limping, unable to stand or sit, say several of the men. All denied the charges. At around 5.30 p.m. the next
NY Times: India’s Leading Documentary Filmmaker Has a Warning
Over four hours, “Reason” documents how the world’s largest democracy has plunged into a majoritarian abyss since the Bharatiya Janata Party, or B.J.P., came to power in 2014, and Narendra Modi was voted in as the prime minister. With testimonies from witnesses to mob lynchings, stories of college students driven to suicide by intense right-wing ostracism and interviews with Hindu nationalists willing to defend the frequent murders of journalists and activists, Patwardhan contradicts the narrative that the B.J.P. routinely projects to the country’s 900
Antony Blinken’s nomination for US Secretary of State evokes optimism among Indian Americans
New top diplomat under a Biden administration has the opportunity to advance global stability by fostering democracy, human rights and religious freedom around the world FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 23, 2020 The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), an advocacy group dedicated to safeguarding India’s pluralist and tolerant ethos, has welcomed President-elect Joe Biden’s nomination of Antony Blinken for the position of US Secretary of State. Indian Americans are looking forward to Mr. Blinken as the nation’s top diplomat, particularly in building a strong US-India strategic partnership that is
Religious Freedom, Equality and justice Under Threat : US Dept. of State releases 2019 India Report
Religious Persecution and Minority Crimes - Bare Facts June 12, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), an advocacy group committed to preserving and promoting India’s secular and tolerant values, today welcomed the comprehensive and systematic reporting on Indian minorities by the office of International Religious Freedom, United States Dept. of State, in its 2019 report released on June 10. The report has provided an in-depth coverage and analysis of challenges faced by religious minorities, especially Muslims, Christians and lower caste Hindus (Dalit) in India. The
US State Department releases scathing report on Religious persecution of minorities in India
Executive Summary The constitution provides for freedom of conscience and the right of all individuals to freely profess, practice, and propagate religion; mandates a secular state; requires the state to treat all religions impartially; and prohibits discrimination based on religion. It also states that citizens must practice their faith in a way that does not adversely affect public order, morality, or health. Nine of the 28 states have laws restricting religious conversions. In August the central government revoked the semiautonomous status of the Muslim-majority state
George Floyd murder sign of systemic racism say Indian Americans
Community stands in solidarity with African Americans while urging police reforms. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMay 31, 2020 Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), an advocacy group dedicated to safeguarding India’s pluralist and tolerant ethos, is shocked and outraged at the ruthless murder of George Floyd, an unarmed black man. IAMC condemns the police brutality and extends it’s deepest condolences to the family, friends, and to all the well wishers who are impacted by this loss. The treatment of minorities, especially blacks by police officers in the United States of
Congressional Briefing calls for US action amid rapidly escalating violence against minorities in India
Broad panel of experts urges the US government to implement the recommendations of the USCIRF The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), an advocacy group dedicated to safeguarding India’s pluralist and tolerant ethos, co-sponsored a virtual Congressional briefing yesterday, titled “USCIRF Recommendations on India - The Next Steps.” With “Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR),” and “International Christian Concern (ICC),” as the other co-sponsors, the briefing was organized with the intent to analyze the recommendations made by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission
What Happened in Delhi Was a Pogrom
India’s ruling party will allow nothing to stand in the way of its Hindu-nationalist agenda. The violence unleashed against Muslims in Delhi by armed Hindu mobs during President Donald Trump’s visit to India is a portent and a lesson. As Trump sat down to dine with India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, on Tuesday, Hindus in the same city were beating and shooting Muslims, and Muslims were fighting back, trying to defend their homes and businesses from looters and arsonists. More than 40 people