Act Now, India

ALERT: India – Stop state-sanctioned violence against Muslims

29 April 2020

IHRC calls upon all campaigners outside India to write to their Member of Parliament, asking them to urge your government to demand the Indian government to stop the state-sanctioned violence against Muslims.

Background

Requested Action

Model letter

Recipient Addresses

Background

India has been gripped by anti-Muslim violence following the passing of the Citizenship Amendment Act.

IHRC is asking campaigners to join this campaign demanding equal citizenship for all Indians regardless of religion or other factors .

The new Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) passed at the end of 2019, has made religion as the primary criteria for acquiring Indian citizenship. The Act assures refuge to persecuted religious minorities, except Muslims, from the neighbouring countries of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. This Act, read in conjunction with the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the National population Register (NPR) is discriminatory and dangerous.

In July 2019, the Indian Home Minister, Amit Shah, told the parliament that the “government will identify illegal immigrants living on every inch of country’s soil and deport them,” signalling the expansion of the NRC to the rest of India. During the 2019 general elections, the BJP claimed that “illegal immigrants”, or “termites” from Muslim majority Bangladesh have sneaked in and are living off the resources of Indian citizens. (Background courtesy Zulqarnain Banday from The Long View, Volume 2, issue 2, forthcoming).

To find out more about the India campaign, please visit our campaign page here.

Requested Action

Model letter

Dear [Insert MP name],

I am deeply concerned about the situation of Muslims in India. The actions of the BJP government are amounting to genocide against Muslims. Modi’s government is currently presiding over a series of laws and policies that systematically targets Muslims, minorities and political dissidents across the country.

I am writing to you to ask the government demand India end violence against Muslims and other minorities and to repeal the Citizenship Amendment Act and related policies immediately.

The world must act now before another genocide takes place.

[insert your name]

Recipient Addresses

Please search for your local MP using the following websites, and follow the links to get their email:

UK:

https://members.parliament.uk/constituencies

Australia:

https://www.aph.gov.au/senators_and_members/members

Germany:

https://www.bundestag.de/en/members

Netherlands:

https://www.houseofrepresentatives.nl