Indian Americans call for de-escalation between India and Pakistan, condemn killing of civilians
Washington, D.C. (May 8, 2025) – The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) today unequivocally condemned the killing of civilians in recent airstrikes by India and Pakistan and called for immediate de-escalation and the protection of civilians on both sides of the border.
“Wars rooted in hypernationalism are never just, and if this escalation continues, it will be innocent Indians and Pakistanis who end up paying the price,” said IAMC President Mohammed Jawad. “Furthermore, an all-out war between two nuclear powers will not only destroy countless lives, but will destabilize the entire region for years to come. Restraint and deescalation at this time are crucial.”
On May 6, Indian airstrikes struck multiple locations across Pakistan. The Indian government has declared the strikes an act of retaliation after gunmen killed 25 Indian tourists and a local guide in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, an attack that Pakistan has denied any involvement in. Indian airstrikes have already killed over 30 people in Pakistan, while Pakistani shelling has killed at least 16 people along border areas in Jammu region. On both sides, children have been among the victims.
This year, the Muslim-majority region of Kashmir entered its fifth year under the direct rule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu supremacist government, following the abrogation of its special autonomous status in August 2019.
Leading global human rights organizations, including the United Nations, have consistently raised alarm over widespread abuses carried out by the Indian military in the region—ranging from mass surveillance and arbitrary arrests to the closure of mosques during major Muslim holidays, land dispossession, and discriminatory policies targeting Kashmir’s Muslim population. Journalists and human rights defenders face particularly harsh treatment, with many detained under India’s draconian anti-terrorism laws.
The Indian government has also cracked down on critics within the country, shutting down major social media accounts that question Modi’s handling of security in Kashmir. Meanwhile, Indian Muslims, the largest and most vulnerable religious minority in the nation, have been subjected to a new spike in violent hate crimes by Hindu supremacists.
“IAMC urges the South Asian American diaspora to come together at this time in unity,” said Jawad. “Our message must be clear in a time clouded by hatred and hypernationalism: we are opposed to war, we are opposed to division, and above all, we support the right of all civilians – whether Indian or Pakistani – to live in safety and security.”
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