Newsletter (February 2026): IRF Summit advocacy, new report on Christmas violence, and more
IAMC is scaling new heights in relevance, starting with speaking on a panel about Indian Muslim concerns at the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit, and then presenting our inaugural religious champion award to IRF co-chairs Sam Brownback and Katrina Lantos Swett at the Summit. We also released a new report documenting anti-Christian violence during the Christmas season of 2025, as well as two new podcast episodes featuring Sharjeel Usmani and Zara Chowdhary.
BULLET POINT SUMMARY:
- IAMC represented the Indian Muslim cause on a panel at the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit
- Presented our inaugural religious champion award to two leading human rights advocates at the IRF Summit
- Released a new report documenting anti-Christian attacks during Christmas 2025
- Released two new episodes of Beyond the Taj, featuring Zara Chowdhary and Sharjeel Usmani
- Condemned mass voter disenfranchisement through electoral roll revisions in India
- And more!
Keep scrolling to learn more about each of these achievements in detail.
IAMC ON IRF SUMMIT’S AWARENESS TRACK PANEL
The IAMC National team attended the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit, the world’s largest interfaith gathering focused on advancing religious freedom. At the summit, our Associate Media Director, Safa Ahmed, spoke on the Summit’s Awareness Track panel, saying that India must be designated as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for egregious violations of religious freedom. You can watch her speak here.
USCIRF COMMISSIONER PRESENTS OUR RELIGIOUS CHAMPION AWARD
While at IRF, we presented our inaugural religious champion award to two leading human rights advocates in the U.S. – Sam Brownback, former US Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, and Katrina Lantos Swett, former USCIRF chair and President of the Lantos Foundation and former USCIRF Chair. Graciously presenting the awards was Commissioner Stephen Schneck of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). Read the full PR on the event here.
NEW REPORT: CHRISTMAS 2025 VIOLENCE
After violence skyrocketed against Indian Christians last December, IAMC released a new report titled “Targeted Violence Against Christians in India During Christmas 2025.” The findings highlight how Christian communities celebrating their religious holiday faced organized harassment amid a climate of normalized hate fostered under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
You can read the full report here.
BEYOND THE TAJ: NEW PODCAST EPISODES
Beyond the Taj is continuing to chronicle the vastness and diversity of the Indian Muslim experience. Check out last month’s releases:
- The Stories and Scars of the 2002 Gujarat Pogrom with Zara Chowdhary, who speaks about her family’s experience in surviving the Gujarat pogrom, the experience of telling the stories of the victims, and the writing of her memoir, The Lucky Ones.
- What it Means to be Muslim in Modi’s India with Sharjeel Usmani, who joins us for a heartbreaking and harrowing exploration of life as a Muslim in Modi’s India.
You can watch or stream these episodes now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.
CHAPTER EVENTS
Our chapters put on an array of events last month, and many of them are participating in our annual Ramadan Roadshow to raise awareness about the Indian Muslim cause. Here’s what they’ve been up to.
1. Boston
- Hosted Justice S. Muralidhar, former Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court, at MIT for a talk on democratic backsliding and institutional challenges across South Asia.
- Launched the Ramadan Roadshow, speaking at local masajid about IAMC’s work and raising, with additional visits planned throughout Ramadan.
2. New Jersey
- Hosted Tushar Arun Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, for an iftar gathering and discussion on peace, justice, and Gandhi’s legacy in today’s political climate.
3. Maryland
- Attended the Hyderabadi Association of Washington Metro Area (HAWMA) annual banquet, strengthening ties with a key coalition partner supporting girls’ education in India.
4. Chicago
- Co-hosted a screening of the documentary “Who Killed Gandhi”, followed by a discussion featuring Tushar Gandhi, Ria Chakrabarty (Hindus for Human Rights), and Ghousia Wajid (IAMC).
- Launched a Ramadan fundraising drive at the Islamic Center of Naperville, while engaging community members about IAMC’s advocacy work.
SUPPORT IAMC’S WORK
Your support is what makes IAMC’s work possible. From advocating for Indian Muslims in the U.S. and abroad, to holding the Hindu far right accountable, to amplifying our stories and voices through media and education — every action we take is powered by your generosity.
If you’d like to help us continue this fight for justice, pluralism, and a stronger community, please click here to donate.
