WASHINGTON, DC(TIP):  A coalition of 22 human rights and faith-based organizations and 14 individuals have sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken over his refusal to designate India as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC). For the last two years, in 2020 and in 2021, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has noted that the Indian government has been “engaging in and tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations, as defined by the International Religious Freedom Act (IRA).” In recognition of this situation, the USCIRF recommended in its 2020 and 2021 annual reports that the U.S. Department of State declare India as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC). Despite these recommendations, Secretary Blinken refused to designate India as a CPC in his November 15 announcement.

In response, Hindus for Human Rights and Indian American Muslim Council drafted a joint letter stating that “The national security and strategic imperatives of the United States are not strengthened but actually undermined if the U.S. government continues to ignore rising religious persecution and human rights abuses in India.”

The letter urges Secretary Blinken to reconsider his decision and “designate India as a CPC at the earliest.”

The letter was signed by leading human rights organizations, including Dalit Solidarity Forum in the USA, Genocide Watch, India Civil Watch International, and the Tom Lantos Foundation For Human Rights and Justice.

The letter also received endorsements from religious denominations and faith-based organizations such as the Federation of Indian American Christians of North America, International Christian Concern, Islamic Circle of North America’s Council for Social Justice, Islamic Society of North America, New York State Council of Churches, and the Orthodox Public Affairs Committee.

FULL LETTER

December 9, 2021

The Honorable Antony Blinken

Secretary

U.S. Department of State

2201 C Street NW

Washington, DC 20520

Subject:Urging designation of India as Country of Particular Concern (CPC)

Dear Secretary Blinken,

We, the undersigned organizations and individuals, are deeply disappointed by your decision to not designate India as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), as recommended by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) earlier this year.

It is unfathomable that the United States does not recognize the Indian government’s systematic, ongoing, and egregious violation of religious freedoms, when the Department of State’s own report on religious freedom in India that you had released in May 2021 clearly described the escalating violence against India’s religious minorities, especially Muslims and Christians.

The USCIRF’s annual reports, both in 2021 and 2020, have established beyond doubt that the Indian Government was “engaging in and tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations, as defined by the International Religious Freedom Act (IRA).”

The national security and strategic imperatives of the United States are not strengthened but actually undermined if the U.S. government continues to ignore rising religious persecution and human rights abuses in India. President Biden himself reminded Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi of Mahatma Gandhi’s message of “tolerance, nonviolence and diversity” in their meeting at the White House in September.

We, therefore, urge you to reconsider your decision and designate India as a CPC at the earliest.

With greatest appreciation for your attention to these matters,

Organizational Endorsements:

American Muslim Institution

Dalit Solidarity Forum in the USA

Federation of Indian American Christians of North America

Genocide Watch

Greentree Global

Hindus for Human Rights

Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) Council for Social Justice

India Civil Watch International

Indian American Muslim Council

International Christian Concern

International Society for Peace and Justice

Islamic Society of North America

Jubilee Campaign USA

Justice For All

Law and Liberty Trust

New Wineskins Missionary Network

New York State Council of Churches

Parity

Prayer Pioneers

Red Eagle Enterprises

The Orthodox Public Affairs Committee

Tom Lantos Foundation For Human Rights and Justice

Individual Endorsements:

Institutional affiliation is provided for identification purposes only and does not constitute institutional endorsement.

Amb. Islam Siddiqui, President, American Muslim Institution

Ann Buwalda, Executive Director, Jubilee Campaign USA

David Kimball, Humanist Chaplain, Cleveland Clinic, Vero Beach, FL

Jennifer Noyes, Executive Director, New Wineskins Missionary Network

Imam Saffet Catovic, Islamic Society of North America Office for Interfaith and Community Alliances

Katrina Lantos Swett, President, Tom Lantos Foundation For Human Rights and Justice

Lauren Homer, President, Law and Liberty Trust

Rehan Khan, MD, President, International Society for Peace and Justice

Rev. Marian Edmonds-Allen, Executive Director, Parity

Rev. Susan Taylor, National Public Affairs Director, Church of Scientology National Affairs Office

Scott Morgan, President, Red Eagle Enterprises

Sunita Viswanath, Executive Director, Hindus for Human Rights

Victor Begg, Interfaith Community Leader, Interfaith Alliance of the Treasure Coast

Zahrah Mir, Communications Specialist, Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) Council for Social Justice