29 US Based Interfaith Civil Society Organizations Call Upon Congressional Leaders to Rescind Invitation to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

June 19, 2023

For more information contact
Zahir Adil
Team Lead, Save India From Fascism
Justice For All
zahir@justiceforall.org

A coalition of 29 US-based interfaith civil society organizations has called upon Congressional leaders to rescind the invitation to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address a joint session of the US Congress.

In a letter addressed to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, representatives of these organizations have expressed their grave disappointment at the decision of conferring this honor on Modi due to the following reasons:

His Role in Gujarat Pogrom of 2002; confirmed by the BBC, 2023:
India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, is commonly referred to as the Butcher of Gujarat because of his complicity in the pogroms of 2002 in the Indian state of Gujarat while he was Chief Minister of the state. A recent documentary by the British Broadcasting Corporation highlighted a British investigation which concluded that Modi was responsible for the carnage. It was found that he allowed Hindu mobs a free hand in attacking Muslims in Gujarat. The United States had imposed a ban on Modi from visiting the United States due to the violence that occurred under his leadership.
India banned the documentary, and attacked the BBC!

121 CHURCHES destroyed in 2023:
The Indian State of Manipur has seen violence against Christians. Several were killed, and the Churachandpur Council of Churches has documented 121 churches destroyed by mid-May, and there are reports of many more since then. The state is run by Modi’s political party, the Bharatiya Janata Party. Modi remained silent!

Nazification of India, post-2014:
Modi and his party follows the Nazi playbook to transform India into a Hindu majoritarian nation. Organizations such as V-Dem, Freedom House, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Early Warning project, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, US State Department, as well as human rights & advocacy agencies such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Indian American Muslim Council, Federation of Indian Christian Organizations of North America, Hindus for Human Rights, Justice For All, and many others, have documented the erosion of democratic values, repression of reporters and human rights defenders, and ongoing marginalization and attacks against Muslims, Christians and Sikhs in India.
India is now considered an “Electoral Autocracy”

“Expressing excessive praise for a murderer and facilitator of mass killings does not benefit the United States, and diminishes it’s standing as the global leader in human and religious rights. India is an unreliable partner against China”, the letter stated.

The honorable leaders are urged to immediately rescind the invitation otherwise “Modi will perceive it as an endorsement of his repressive and fascist policies”.

The coalition members include:

African Heritage International Inc
American Baptist Churches of Wisconsin
American Sikh Council
Asian Children’s Education Fellowship
Council for Social Justice, NJ
Dar Al Taqwa Islamic Center, MD
Dal Al Noor, VA
Darul Salam Woodbridge VA
Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations of North America
Freedom Road, LLC
Great Truth
Green Muslims of New Jersey
Harvard Islamic Society, MA
Hindus for Human Rights
International Society for Peace and Justice
Islamic Center of Boston, MA
Islamic Center of Henric, VA
Islamic Society of Greater Lowell, MA
Jewish World Watch
Jubilee Campaign
Justice America
Justice For All
Malden Islamic Center, MA
Misión Vida para las Naciones
Muslim Association of VA
New York State Council of Churches
Nigerian Muslim Center, MA
United Sikhs
World Sikh Parliament

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