Rep. Ilhan Omar, AG Keith Ellison and Bipartisan Lawmakers Rally Against Hate and Extremism at IAMC Community Forum

Fridley, MN (June 10, 2026) – Representative Ilhan Omar, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, and a bipartisan group of state legislators joined community members on Sunday, June 7 at a public forum titled “Community Resistance to Hate and Extremism,” organized by the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC). The event featured remarks from elected officials of both parties alongside panel discussions with community leaders and experts.

Rep. Ilhan Omar sounded the alarm on India’s worsening persecution of religious minorities. “Reports coming out of India [place it at] the 8th stage of genocide,” Omar said. “It’s really important for us to continue to raise the alarm, because we know that it is not just the Modi administration that is causing havoc in India, but it is becoming systematic and it’s becoming societal.”

Keynote speaker Attorney General Keith Ellison shared a personal account of how he first learned about Hindu nationalism in India, recounting the story of a friend who faced religious discrimination while visiting Gujarat. After being denied housing for revealing his Muslim name, the man later had to conceal his identity during communal violence to survive. “That’s when I first heard about the Gujarat riots. And when I first heard about Narendra Modi and who he was. And that’s when I first heard about what the RSS is. And it really blew my mind,” Ellison said. He called on attendees to stand together in defense of human rights. “By coming together as you have come together today, you have moved the ball of human rights, you have moved the ball of human inclusion just a little bit further,” he said.

Zarina Baber, Assistant Commissioner of Minnesota, spoke about the challenges facing the community in the state. “For many Muslims and Minnesotans, anti-Muslim prejudice remains a significant concern,” Baber said. She called on the community to take a united stand. “Americans should resist imported extremist ideologies and defend our universal human rights. We need every stakeholder in this effort, leaders, journalists, faith communities, educators, civil society organizations,” she said.

Jaylani Hussein of CAIR Minnesota called on American Muslims and allies to take sustained responsibility for advocacy and engagement on issues affecting minorities in India. “India has one of the largest Muslim populations in the world. It is a population that has tremendous challenges, but right now it is the green light from the United States that can predict the reality of where those people’s future lies,” Hussein said. He urged attendees to move beyond reactive responses and commit to year-round engagement with elected officials and policymakers.

Raj Rajan of the India Coalition of Minnesota and Hindus for Human Rights spoke about the erosion of India’s founding principles. “India’s secular history, enshrined in the Constitution of independent India in 1950 by the likes of Dr. Ambedkar, has unfortunately been on really shaky ground over the last decade or so,” Rajan said. He warned that the trend has parallels closer to home, and spoke about how the term “Hinduphobia” has been “weaponized by groups like CoHNA to push back against those fighting caste discrimination and religious bigotry, not just in India but within the Indian diaspora here in the US.”

Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy warned that elected officials at the state and federal level “are leading in a way that is hateful and discriminatory, and they will do whatever they choose to do to divide us and to hurt us.” She urged attendees to use their power as constituents at every level of government. “The power that rests in the office that I hold is not mine. It is ours,” Murphy said.

Republican State Senator Jim Abeler told attendees to “stand up for what’s right and do the right thing even if it costs you something.” State Senator Zainab Mohamed pledged continued support for the community’s advocacy at the Capitol. “The forces that we’re fighting against will be at the Capitol, and it is important that our community organizes, shows up, advocates for the interests of our Muslim communities,” Mohamed said.

“When a U.S. Representative, an Attorney General, and state lawmakers from both parties come together with community members to confront these threats, it sends a clear message that Americans will not tolerate ideologies of hate and extremism,” said Amin Zama, Associate Director of IAMC.

The forum concluded with a shared call for sustained civic engagement, coalition-building, and vigilance against all forms of hate, discrimination, and religious extremism in both the United States and abroad.