2002: Indian Muslim Statements, The Milli Gazette

2002: Indian Muslim Statements
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INDIAN MUSLIM COUNCIL - USA

National Muslim Organizations Endorse IMC's Appeal to Observe Second Week of Ramadan as Gujarat Genocide Remembrance Week and the Second Jumah as Gujarat Genocide Memorial Day

New York, 2 November, 2002: Indian Muslim Council-USA, a national human rights group for the rights of Indian minorities has appealed to American Mosques and Islamic organizations to observe the second week of Ramadan as Gujarat Genocide Remembrance week and the second Jumah as Gujarat Genocide Memorial Day. IMC website www.IMC-USA.org will have a Jumah Khutba posted on it in case the mosques need any such assistance. This appeal is endorsed by national Muslim organizations, CAIR, ISNA, ICNA, AMC and IMRC.

Earlier this year, in Gujarat, India, the Hindu-fascist government killed thousands of Muslims, including little children and even unborn babies by burning them alive or hacking them to pieces. Hundreds of young girls and women were gang-raped and then brutally killed.

What is even more disturbing is, emboldened by the silence of the world, these terrorists are openly threatening Muslims with more genocides, unless they abandon Islam. This threat is so serious that, Amnesty International has issued an urgent warning.***

Another matter of great concern is the infiltration of these terrorists and fascists in the highest power centers in the US including media and the Congress. They are contributing to the growing hatred against Muslims and Islam in the U.S. A visit to their website, www.hinduunity.org will reveal that these extremists groups are working closely with known terrorist organizations.

"As you can see the challenge is huge. But we have no choice", said Dr. Shaik Ubaid, the IMC president. "Remember Quran teaches us that saving one life is like saving the whole humanity; in India today, millions of lives are in danger. We will be held accountable both by Allah SWT and by coming generations if we fail to act now. IMC, therefore, has decided to meet this challenge. We have full trust in Allah. The assurances of firm support from Muslim communities and our track record reassures us. In a short time, alhamdulillah, IMC was able to achieve some remarkable things."

Dr. Ubaid further appealed to the mosques and Islamic centers in his Ramadan appeal: "May this blessed month find you, your family and loved ones in the best of Imaan and health. May Allah Subhanahu wa Ta`ala accept all your fasts, prayers and charity.

In this month, when the hearts of the believers are softer and we tend to be more sensitive to the sufferings of our fellow humans, especially Muslims, I request you to remember the 180 million Muslims of India, the second biggest group of our ummah, in your duas. We need your help in preventing more genocides by the Hitler loving Hindutva-fascists who have promised to make India a second Spain for Muslims".

IMC Achievements:

Unity:
IMC was launched after the merger of three advocacy groups that were formed after the Gujarat genocide. These were ImanNet, IMAC and IMPACT. For the first time we saw a full merger of Muslim organizations, alhamdulillah! We united to be more effective in their campaign to save India's minorities from the Hindutva-fascists who admire Hitler and his genocidal policies.

Grass Root Advocacy:
§ IMC-USA launched a nationwide protest campaign urging the State Department and United States Commission on International Religious Freedom to condemn Gujarat massacres and declare VHP as a terrorist organization. The campaign resulted in USCIRF & State Department releasing strong reports against religious violence in India.
§ Countered massive Hindutva campaign to stop screening the PBS documentary "Soul of a Nation" on Gujarat massacres.
§ Launched an effective campaign against the fundraising activities of the Hindutva-fascist propagandist, Sadhavi Rithambara in the U.S.
§ Produced and mass distributed three full color brochures and 50 alerts in a quantity of 250,000 on Gujarat genocide. These were also sent to U.S. policy makers, opinion makers, activists and clergy .
§ Met and briefed US Senators and Congresspersons.

Education & Outreach
§ IMC issues weekly news digest and periodic alerts through e-mails.
§ Brought Gujarat genocide to the forefront of national Muslim conventions and got resolutions on Gujarat passed.
§ Briefed the leadership of National Muslim organizations in the US about the dangers of Hindutva-fascism.
§ Organized numerous lectures, photo exhibits, teach-ins and seminars in mosques, churches and college campuses, all over the US about the Gujarat genocide and the dangers the Hindutva-fascists pose to Indian minorities and to world peace.

Coalition Building
§ Meets regularly with representatives of U.S. Human Rights groups as well as religious leaders.
§ Works closely with other Indian minorities, moderate Hindus and Women Rights organizations.

Media Archival:
§ IMC has archived more that 6000 articles on Hindutva-fascism that could be used for research.

Upcoming projects:

Full Time Office in Washington
The Hindutva-fascists are getting well entrenched and are infiltrating US govt.'s institutions and other power bases. They work closely with anti-Muslim terrorist organizations. IMC will need a full time office to counter them.

Fascism Watch
IMC intends to compile of all statements and activities by the fascists both here and in India. It will help IMC in getting these groups banned as terrorist organizations.
Gujarat Genocide Anniversary
Compile all the reports and update on legal and relief work in book form that will be sent to politicians, media and other opinion makers

College Campuses Campaign
Educate Campus activists on the dangers of Hindutva-fascism and mobilize them to fight this dangerous and hateful philosophy.

***http://web.amnesty.org/ai.nsf/Index/ASA200192002?OpenDocument&of=COUNTRIES\INDIA
Gujarat will be repeated: Ashok Sanghal, president, VHP (World Hindu Council)
http://www.thehindu.com/2002/10/12/stories/2002101204411100.htm
Praveen Togadia, secretary general of VHP threatened "garlands of skulls" http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=11655

INDIAN MUSLIM COUNCIL - USA
265 Sunrise Highway 1-355, Rockville Centre, NY 11570, USA, Tel: ++1-516-567-0783
Email: info@imc-usa.org ; http://www.imc-usa.org q

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