22 Organizations Write to U.S. Secretary of State Over India's CPC Designation
Press Contact: Nikhil Mandalaparthy, Advocacy Director, Hindus for Human Rights, nikhil@hindusforhumanrights.org
December 9, 2021
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
