Peace Vigil in Seattle to demand justice for rape and murder victims in India
Peace Vigil in Seattle to demand justice for rape and murder victims in India
Protestors demand that the Government of India set up fast-track courts for trials in rape cases and expedite justice delivery to the victims.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Seattle, USA, Wednesday, April 25, 2018
The Seattle chapter of Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC, www.iamc.com), an advocacy group dedicated to safeguarding India’s pluralist and tolerant ethos, organized a candle light vigil on Saturday, April 21 at the Crossroads Park in Bellevue, Washington.
The event was cosponsored by multiple groups across the spectrum:
1:Association for India’s Development (AID) – Seattle chapter (aidindia.org/seattle-chapter/)
2: Unity Across Identities
3: Tasveer (www.tasveer.org)
4: India Association of Western Washington (IAWW) (https://www.iaww.org/)
5: Brahma Kumaris – Washington (http://www.bkwashington.org/)
6: Eastside Refugee and Immigrants Coalition (ERIC) (http://ericmembers.org)
7: API Chaya (https://www.apichaya.org)
Local elected officials also attended the event. The keynote speakers were Ms. Manka Dhingra (State Senator. 45th Dist. – Redmond) and Ms. Kshama Sawant (Councilwoman, District 3, Seattle)
“We are here to collectively demand justice for the victim girl”, said Ms. Kshama Sawant, Councilwoman in District 3, Seattle who was one of the keynote speakers at the event.
Ms. Sawant was joined by hundreds of Americans of Indian origin, living in the Seattle area. “It seems so incomprehensible that human beings could perpetrate such heinous acts against children,” she added.
“We as a society have to have zero tolerance for gender violence,” said Ms. Manka Dhingra who is a State Senator in 45th District of Redmond. Ms. Dhingra, who spoke passionately at the event, further said that women bodies cannot be used to wage religious, political and economic warfare. She was referring to the politicization of the Kathua rape and murder and the various protest organized by the Hindu extremists group in India, in support of the accused.
Recently, on a visit to the UK, Mr. Modi did condemn the act but only to save face, after the incident received international attention.
“We have had enough of these belated remonstrations and promises to bring justice when the communal pot is forever kept boiling by his own ministers”, said Javed Sikander, a resident of Redmond, WA.
The group demanded Mr. Modi immediately reach out to the families of the victims and apologize on behalf of all Indians as the society had failed to protect their loved ones. They also demanded the government of India to set up fast-track courts for trials in rape cases and expedite justice delivery to the victims.
Indian-American Muslim Council (formerly Indian Muslim Council-USA) is the largest advocacy organization of Indian Muslims in the United States.
For more information please visit www.iamc.com
CONTACT:
Indian American Muslim Council
Phone/Fax: 1-800-839-7270
Email: info@iamc.com
Facebook: Indian American Muslim Council
Twitter: @IAMCouncil
Address: 6321 W Dempster St. Suite 295, Morton Grove, IL 60053.
REFERENCES:
1. NYTimes: An 8-Year-Old’s Rape and Killing Fuels Religious Tensions in India
https://mobile.nytimes.com/2018/04/11/world/asia/india-girl-rape.html
2. NYTimes: A young girl’s rape in India becomes a crisis for Modi
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/14/world/asia/india-girl-rape.html
3. CNN: Rape cases spark political protest movement in India
https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/16/asia/india-rape-bjp-protests-intl/index.html
4. WashPost: Hindu ‘nationalists’ defend accused rapists and shame India
5. BBC: Asifa Bano: The child rape and murder that has Kashmir on edge
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-43722714
6. CBS: Young girl’s brutal rape and murder highlights a religious divide
