Newsletter (Feb 2023): BBC Documentary Screenings; Dr. Jason Stanley’s Event; IAMC Report Release & More

March 22, 2023

Newsletter (Feb 2023): BBC Documentary Screenings; Dr. Jason Stanley’s Event; IAMC Report Release & More

Assalaamu Alaikum and greetings of peace!

On behalf of the Indian American Muslim Council, we wish each of you and your families a joyous and blessed Ramadan. It’s a time for spiritual rejuvenation, self-reflection, and devotion to Allah (SWT).

This Ramadan, let us remember our obligation to speak out against oppression and injustice. Our Muslim brothers and sisters in India continue to face persecution and discrimination on a daily basis. The recent wave of mass violence and genocidal speeches against the Muslim community is deeply concerning and demands our immediate attention and action. May this Ramadan inspire us to be agents of change and advocates for justice.

As we enter the holy month of Ramadan, we at IAMC wanted to take a look back and share with you some of the important work that we did over the last month.

In remembrance of the horrific 2002 Gujarat pogrom, IAMC hosted nationwide screenings of the BBC documentary “India: The Modi Question,” which has been banned in India for examining Modi’s role in the anti-Muslim carnage.

Both independently and with partner organizations, IAMC chapters hosted over 20 documentary screenings nationwide, including in Washington, D.C, Maryland, California, Texas, New Jersey, Illinois, Florida, Missouri, Minnesota, Michigan, Virginia, and Tennessee, which were attended by hundreds of people from all walks of life. These screenings featured panel discussions with Imran Dawood, Gujarat pogrom survivor; Yusuf Dawood, Imran’s uncle; and Dr. Aakashi Bhatt, daughter of jailed whistleblower Sanjiv Bhatt.

National Press Club hosts special BBC documentary screening

As part of our series of documentary screenings, IAMC partnered with the world’s leading professional organization for journalists, the US National Press Club, to host a viewing of the documentary as well as a panel discussion afterward with Imran Dawood, Yusuf Dawood, and Dr. Aakashi Bhatt.

Watch the panel discussion here:

The screening was attended by journalists from some of America’s most prominent publications, including the New York Times, and featured opening remarks strongly condemning the Modi regime’s attacks on press freedoms from National Press Club president Eileen O’Reilly.

New Jersey: World Renowned Expert on Fascism Dr. Jason Stanley spoke at IAMC event

IAMC’s New Jersey chapter hosted a successful event on February 26 to commemorate the 21st anniversary of the Gujarat pogrom by organizing a panel discussion that focused on Hindutva’s threats to democracy both in India and the US.

The event, which was attended by a religiously diverse crowd, spotlighted fascism expert Dr. Jason Stanley, historian Suchitra Vijayan, and prominent American journalist and author Azad Essa, all of whom pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s regime bears the hallmarks of Nazi Germany.

Watch the panel discussion here:

The event also featured remarks by Imran Dawood, Yusuf Dawood, and Dr. Aakashi Bhatt.

Seattle: Big Victory Against Caste Discrimination

IAMC joined a coalition of American civil rights organizations to commend the Seattle City Council for passing historic legislation on February 21 to ban caste-based discrimination in the city.

In the leadup to the legislation being passed, two board members from IAMC’s Seattle Chapter, Hasan Khan and Javed Sikander, testified before the city council as allies to the Dalit community, reiterating concerns about the prevalence of caste discrimination – which is often perpetuated by US-based Hindu supremacists – and urging the council to pass the legislation.

Capitol Hill: IAMC Year End on Persecution of Religious Minorities In India

As part of the India Working Group (IWG), IAMC and coalition partners led a Congressional Briefing on Capitol Hill in remembrance of the 21st anniversary of 2002 Gujarat pogrom, which featured a screening of BBC documentary “India: The Modi Question,” a panel discussion, and the release of IAMC year-end report.

Among the panel of renowned speakers was United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Commissioner Stephen Schneck, who called upon the US government to condemn Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s regime for its egregious violations of human rights and religious freedoms.

Later, we released our year-end report titled “Persecution as State Policy: Report on Human Rights and Religious Freedom in India (2023).”

IAMC at Amnesty & Department of Justice

IAMC participated in Amnesty International USA’s Annual General Meeting and brought up issues of persecution in India and Hindutva in the U.S.

IAMC’s Advocacy Director Ajit Sahi met US Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke at the quarterly meeting of the Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice, where he again stressed on the dangers posed by Hindu supremacist movement in India and US to peace, pluralism, and democracy.

From IAMC’s Genocide Monitoring Desk

IAMC Media Department Updates

Indian Americans call on San Diego school to cancel Islamophobic presentation by Hindu far-right supporters

The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) wrote a letter to the administration of Francis Parker School in San Diego, CA, raising concerns over a scheduled Islamophobic presentation by the supporters of Hindu supremacism on February 16. The presentation promotes various anti-Muslim narratives, conspiracy theories, and far-right propaganda among the school students.