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Author: Moorthy Muthuswamy PhD
Publication: IndiaCause.com
Date: May 15, 2006
URL: http://www.indiacause.com/columns/OL_060515.htm
Dear Speaker Dennis Hastert
May 7, 2006
Thank you for doing a great service to our nation, by representing us ably. With confronting radical Islam taking the center stage, religious issues abroad have become prominent in shaping our security, economy and foreign policy. This is where United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) comes into picture.
I am writing with great concern about what appears to be an utter disregard for truth, radical Islam-friendly outlook and lack of competence at USCIRF. As a leader of the legislative body with oversight over USCIRF, I am bringing this to your attention. Clearly, my futile interaction with USCIRF has reached a dead end.
The 2006 USCIRF report on India appears to
have significant data that are either plain erroneous or arguments that are
one-sided and biased. Also, USCIRF officials have ignored the critical data
I had given them pointing out an entirely different outlook of religious freedom
related violence in India.
The 2006 USCIRF reports notes in page 209, second to last paragraph, on India:
"…in the end, as many as 2,000 Muslims were killed". This figure
had been quoted by several Muslim groups with extremist leanings. USCIRF has
not even bothered to note the fact that Indian government gave a figure in
May 2005 of 790 Muslims and 254 Hindus killed in post Godhra riots in Gujarat
(http://us.rediff.com/news/2005/may/11guj.htm). This USCIRF report also fails
to note-the train fire that killed 58 Hindus in Godhra (preceding and provoking
post Godhra riots) was likely caused by a Muslim mob and unlikely to be spontaneous.
In page 211, the report observes: "In March, the head of a Christian
organization that runs a number of educational and charitable institutions
was arrested on charges of "hurting religious sentiments" and "insulting
the religious beliefs of a community" because of a book that was on sale
in one of his establishments." This is a grossly one-sided view of the
situation. This report conveniently neglects to mention the reason for the
arrest-the head and his associates had been booked for violating Sections
153(a) and 295(a) of the Indian Penal Code, "which deal with deliberately
outraging religious feelings or insulting the religious beliefs of another
community." In reality, this Christian organization had been engaged
in an unadulterated hatred and abuse of Hindu scriptures, faith, ritual and
tradition. It denigrates tenets of Hinduism and pours undiluted scorn on Hindu
icons and spiritual leaders. It casts aspersions on the chastity of Hindu
women and questions received wisdom (http://www.southasianmedia.net/index_opinion.cfm?category=Religion&country=INDIA).
In other words, this Christian organization deliberately provoked the people
of majority faith and created a communally volatile situation. This gets no
mention in USCIRF report.
I met with top USCIRF officials, Mr. Ted Stahnke and Ms. Patricia Carley on
December 19th 2005 in Washington and gave them data on the origin of religious
conflicts in India. This included the data that over 95% of riots in India
involving Muslims and majority Hindus were initiated by Muslims. On March
25th I sent Ms. Carley a reference of this data (http://intellibriefs.com/sec_combat_FEB_06.pdf,
page 22). USCIRF report has shown that it has willfully ignored the reality
that Muslim minority in India is violence-prone and Hindu majority is at the
receiving end of this violence-most of the time.
I had also brought verifiable data to the attention of USCIRF that points
to Christian institutions in India practicing religious apartheid on majority
that are in violation of Article 23 and Article 26 of Universal Declaration
of Human rights (http://www.indiacause.com/columns/OL_051026.htm).
When the data and events point to majority in India at the receiving hands of religious minorities, it seems USCIRF is selectively processing information to portray the events in a way it likes. In other words, USCIRF has ceased to be an objective and impartial entity. The 2006 report (along with previous ones) may also open up the interpretation of USCIRF favorably disposed toward Christianity (the majority religion in America) and trying to undermine non-Christian faiths abroad--regardless of the truth. Such an outlook by a tax-payer funded government institution would be in violation of the Constitutional separation of church and state.
USCIRF's apparent disregard for truth is going to put our Ambassador in New Delhi in an unenviable position-and reflects poorly on America. There should be little doubt-USCIRF is siding with radical Islam in India and undermining a vulnerable Hindu majority, which has shown a liking for America in a recent poll. Is this what we want?
I suspect, the lack of competence manifested at USCIRF is mainly due to inadequate manpower (the Commission, limited to a staff of twenty, has to cover over one hundred countries).
With USCIRF report discredited, it is hard to see how our executive and legislative branches could take its policy "recommendations" seriously. I sincerely hope that you would conduct a hearing to address the needs of USCIRF, giving it adequate staff and help reorganize it so that it can do a competent-not a disgraceful--job. An able USCIRF can be an integral component of our war-on-terror strategy. Let me know if I can be of help.
Sincerely
Moorthy Muthuswamy PhD
(The writer is a nuclear physicist based in America. He can be reached at moorthym@comcast.net)
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