Global outcry urged as USCIRF highlights deteriorating religious freedom in India
Washington: In a compelling call to action, Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Chairman of the World Forum for Peace & Justice, has urged the global community to share the outrage articulated by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) in its recent report on the declining religious freedom conditions in India.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the USCIRF’s report, released on October 2, 2024, paints a harrowing picture of religious persecution in India, detailing a year marked by violent attacks on religious minorities, arbitrary arrests of religious leaders, and systematic demolitions of places of worship. The report specifically calls out the use of government-sanctioned misinformation and hate speech that have incited violence against these communities.
Dr. Fai notes that the report shines a light on the grim reality faced by religious minorities in India, particularly in Kashmir. The USCIRF also highlighted the alarming trend of transnational repression, including allegations made by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau regarding Indian government involvement in the assassination of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
“The global community, including the Biden Administration, must align its outrage with the lived experiences of the people of Kashmir,” Fai implored, underscoring the importance of international solidarity in the face of such human rights violations.
India’s government has consistently attempted to obscure its record of religious persecution, restricting access to media and human rights organizations. Dr. Fai urged Professor Ghanea to advocate for an independent investigation into the situation in Kashmir, emphasizing that a lack of transparency would only serve to confirm the severity of the human rights abuses occurring there.
Dr. Fai pointed out the systematic and deliberate nature of religious persecution, highlighting measures such as the banning of Islamic schools and the control over religious trusts aimed at erasing the Islamic identity of the region.
Dr. Fai articulated a vision of Kashmir as a region that has historically celebrated diversity and communal harmony. He underscored the urgency of addressing the ongoing persecution of Muslims and other religious communities, declaring that the time has come to illuminate the violations against human rights that continue to plague India.
