Tuesday April 26, 2012
The Indian American Muslim
Council (http://www.iamc.com) an advocacy group dedicated to
safeguarding India's pluralist and tolerant ethos today welcomed the US
State Department's reiteration of its position on the issue of a US visa for
Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
In a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Congressman Walsh had called
on the US government to lift
the ban on issuing a US
visa to Mr. Modi.
On April 25, 2012, the State Department's spokesperson
Victoria Nuland responded to questions from reporters on Congressman Walsh's
letter. "Our position on the visa issue has not changed at all," Ms.
Nuland stated categorically, reaffirming the government's position that Mr.
Modi continues to remain inadmissible under current US law. Section 212 (a)(2)(g) of
the Immigration and Nationality Act, makes foreign government officials
ineligible for a visa should the State Department deem them complicit in severe
violations of religious freedom.
Mr. Modi is the prime accused in a case filed by human rights organization
"Citizens for Justice and Peace" and Gujarat
carnage survivor Mrs. Zakia Jafri, where he is accused of conspiracy to commit
mass murder, to influence the course of public justice and to destroy public
records. An amicus curiae appointed by India's Supreme Court has found
sufficient evidence to charge and prosecute him for the carnage in 2002 that
resulted in the killing of over 2,000 people and the displacement of over
150,000.
"Even after the horrific pogrom in Gujarat 2002, there has been no reprieve for the minorities in Gujarat. The continued violations of religious freedom in the state, in the form of extra-judicial killings, pathetic living conditions of people displaced since 2002, as well as economic discrimination against minorities reflect the culture of impunity cultivated by Mr. Modi and his administration," said Mr. Shaheen Khateeb, President of IAMC. "The State Department's refusal to reconsider the ban on Modi's visa should also be seen in light of the ongoing struggle to secure justice and reparation for the victims of the Gujarat carnage of 2002," added Mr. Khateeb.
IAMC has called upon India's Supreme Court to look into irregularities in the functioning of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) appointed by the Court and to ensure that the masterminds of the Gujarat pogrom of 2002 are brought to justice.
Indian American Muslim Council is the largest advocacy organization of Indian Muslims in the United States with 10 chapters across the nation.
For more information please visit our new website at www.iamc.com.