Minneapolis Review

MINNEAPOLIS—Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) released the following statement ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech to a joint session of Congress. Rep. Omar will also be holding an event with human rights experts on Prime Minister Modi's record. You can find details below

“What’s happening in India runs directly counter to our democratic values. Under Prime Minister Modi, the government has targeted and even adopted laws to explicitly discriminate against religious minorities. This includes the anti-Muslim citizenship law and a purge of Muslim citizens in the Indian state of Assam. It includes the government rescinding the autonomy of majority-Muslim region of Kashmir, shutting off their communication and illegally detaining dissidents. It includes a civil liberties crackdown and forced internet blackout for over 25 million people in the Sikh-majority region of Punjab, especially concerning given the mass killings of Sikhs in India that occurred less than 40 years ago. And it includes a current round of violence in Northeast India—including the burning of churches and synagogues and the killing of Christian and Jewish citizens by mobs. Violence against Muslim, Christian, Sikh and Jewish minorities is rampant and police routinely overlook attacks committed by BJP supporters. 

“Dissidents, journalists, and their families are targeted with violence and political persecution. Even advocates outside of India fear that their family members will be targeted if they speak out.  

“In 2005, when Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat the U.S. State Department suspended Modi’s US visa after finding him complicit in the 2002 Gujarat riots. Over 1,000 people were killed—three-quarters of whom were Muslim. Modi later banned a BBC documentary that highlighted his complicity in the riots.

“We are told we must now turn a blind eye to this repression because of foreign policy concerns—even though human rights are supposed to be at the center of our foreign policy. But Prime Minister Modi is not even a reliable geopolitical ally. Modi has maintained close economic ties with Vladimir Putin even after his illegal invasion of Ukraine, and continues to rely on Russia for oil and weapons.  

“I will not be attending Prime Minister Modi’s address Thursday, but I will be holding a briefing on the bilateral relationship, with a panel of human rights experts.”

WHAT: Informational Policy Briefing on India

WHO:

Rep. Ilhan Omar

Rep. Rashida Tlaib

Members of Congress

Sarah Yager, Washington Director, Human Rights Watch

Sunita Viswanath, Executive Director, Hindus for Human Rights

Ajit Sahi, Advocacy Director, Indian American Muslim Council

Stephen F. Schneck, Commissioner, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom

Nadine Farid Johnson, Washington Director, PEN America

Loghman Fattahi, US Advocacy Manager, Committee to Protect Journalists

Additional speakers to be confirmed

WHEN:

June 22nd, 2023

5-7 PM

WHERE:

North Orientation Theater, Capitol Visitor Center (CVC 249)

Original source can be found here.