Azra Hoosen | ah@radioislam.co.za
8 July 2024 | 13:30 CAT
3 min read

Recent reports, including the US State Department’s 2023 International Religious Freedom report and the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) annual report, highlight severe violations under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rule, particularly concerning the treatment of religious minorities such as Muslims and Christians.

These reports have led to calls for the US to designate India as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC).

In an interview with Radio Islam, Safa Ahmed from the Indian American Muslim Council highlighted a report detailing numerous issues under PM Narendra Modi’s rule. These include mob lynching of Muslim men, widespread hate speech and disinformation targeting Muslims, vigilantism, mob violence during Hindu festivals, mosque demolitions, discriminatory policies such as uniform civil codes and anti-conversion laws, and various attacks on shops, homes, and places of worship of minorities.

According to Ahmed, Civil society in India has been increasingly vocal about concerns regarding hate speeches since Modi came into power.

“However there is a big handicap that Hindu-supremacist ideology, also known as Hindutva, has completely compromised every single pillar of Indian democracy, including the courts,” she said.

The PM and several members of his party have violated the moral code of conduct during elections, but the election commission has not taken a firm stand against these actions. This highlights concerns about the state of Indian democracy under Hindutva ideology.

“Potentially, change is possible now that Modi has lost some power. There is more criticism of him now in the open, but it will take a lot of time for damage to be undone,” she said.

Ahmed said that Countries labelled as CPC are typically those involved in severe violations of religious freedom. However, the CPC list is perceived as hypocritical, as countries like Israel and India—both close US allies—are accused of blatant religious freedom violations but have not been included on the list.

“India on the CPC list can lead the way to the US taking stronger measures such as sanctions, more diplomatic measures, and visa bans on people enabling this discrimination. However, the US has consistently ignored USCIRF’s recommendations, not putting India on the list as yet,” she added.

Touching on the global consequences, Ahmed highlighted that since Modi’s election, there have been numerous incidents globally where Hindu supremacists in the UK, US, and Australia have become more vocal and bold in publicly expressing their hatred towards Muslims.

“There have been at least 4 mob lynching’s, maybe more now within India, since Modi started his third term, which is a massive red flag, as his supporters feel it is perfectly fine to shed innocent Muslim blood and not face any long-term consequences for their actions,” she said.

Ahmed noted that India’s religious freedom is deteriorating; there is a bipartisan concern in the US. However, the Biden administration set aside these concerns when Modi was invited to address Congress during his last visit, sparking significant controversy.

“It emboldens his supporters in India; it allows Modi to hold onto this legitimacy on the International stage. That does take away from some of the criticisms that congress people have been making for some time,” she said.

She pointed out that while there are civil groups and activists focusing on education efforts, and the Constitution does exist to protect people, there are significant challenges stacked against them. At this point, she emphasised, there is no legal protection for minorities in India, leading to a state of complete impunity.

LISTEN to the full interview with Ml Junaid Kharsany and Safa Ahmed, Associate Director of Media & Communications – Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), here.