IAMC Condemns Arrest of More than 100 Muslim Leaders in India

Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) strongly condemns the arbitrary arrest of more than 100 Muslim leaders, mostly associated with the Popular Front of India (PFI), in post-midnight raids across various Indian states. This is a massive state crackdown on India’s Muslim leadership under the eight-year fascist rule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The arrests were made by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) — both controlled federally by Prime Minister Modi— under bogus terrorism charges.

Leading Muslim figures such as former PFI chief and SDPI’s founder president Erappungal Abubacker and veteran journalist and National Confederation of Human Rights Organisations (NCHRO) general secretary professor P Koya were also arrested by federal agencies from Kerala.

Some Muslim leaders have been charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), a draconian terror law that the BJP government has extensively used to target critics.

“Hindu extremist organizations and individuals who have repeatedly given calls for genocide of Muslims, orchestrated and participated in anti-minority violence face no scrutiny but the Muslim organizations that work for defending their rights under the ambit of constitution face terror charges,” said IAMC Executive Director Rasheed Ahmed.

“Arrest of PFI leaders is a pure witch hunt and sheer injustice. It is as indicative of the fact that India is on an extremely dangerous path. No Muslim is safe in India today,” Ahmed added.