IAMC condemns attack on Durga Puja in Bangladesh

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON, D.C., (October 14, 2021) – The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), an advocacy organization dedicated to safeguarding India’s pluralist and tolerant ethos, today unequivocally condemned the desecration of Durga Puja pandals in Bangladesh. The  attacks on the festivities, during which Hindu idols were vandalized, have reportedly led to the deaths of four people.

IAMC has welcomed the arrest of 100 people for their role in the attacks and urged the Bangladesh Government to ensure that all the perpetrators of this cowardly attack are punished to the full extent of the law.

“The wanton destruction of places of worship goes against the principles of Islam,” said IAMC Executive Director Rasheed Ahmed. “It is especially upsetting that these attacks were carried out during what should have been a happy and festive occasion for the Bengali Hindu community. No group should feel unsafe or ostracized in their home country.”

As a minority community in Bangladesh, Hindus must not  be subjected to violence and discrimination, a concern that has been documented by prominent human rights organizations, as well as the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).