January 15, 2003

Washington D.C., 01/15/2003: Indian Muslim Council-USA, a Washington based advocacy group working toward safeguarding Indian society’s pluralist and tolerant ethos, condemns in the strongest terms possible the attack on a US missionary in South India.

According to news reports, ten members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), an extremist Hindu nationalist organization attacked Mr. Joseph Cooper near a gospel convention in the southern state of Kerala. Mr. Cooper sustained grievous injuries as a result of the attack.

“Mr. Cooper is only the latest victim of fascism that continues to thrive in India,” said Dr. Shaik Ubaid, President of IMC-USA. “The RSS is a fascist organization that has openly admired Hitler and seeks to exterminate the minorities of India. Usually, the Muslims of India have borne the brunt of the fascist agenda of the RSS, but in recent years, no one is safe, and that includes Christians as well.

” Dr. Ubaid stressed that India’s ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) is the political wing of the RSS and should share the blame in this crime. He also noted that the RSS operates over 50 chapters in the US and finances attacks against Christians and Muslims from funds it obtains in the US.

According to a Human Rights Watch report, “attacks against Christians throughout the country have increased significantly since the BJP began its rule at the (federal level) in March 1998.” After the recent state engineered pogrom against Muslims in Gujarat and the re-election of the extremist BJP, the Indian Muslim Council-USA fears that India is slipping away from its democratic and secular ideals.

The Indian Muslim Council-USA is committed to supporting and protecting all Indian Minorities including Indian Christians from further attacks by extremist forces.

For further information contact:
Dr. Shaik Ubaid
Indian Muslim Council of USA
265 Sunrise Highway, 1-355
Rockville Center, NY 11570
(516) 567-0783
E mail: info@imc-usa.org