FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CAIR-New Jersey Issues Letter Condemning Kashmir Siege After Declining Invitation to Meet with Indian Consulate Officials

(SOUTH PLAINFIELD, N.J., 8/21/2019) – The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ) today issued a public letter to the Indian Consul General condemning that nation’s actions in Kashmir and its abuses of Indian Muslims, and declining an invitation to meet with consulate officials.

Indian officials requested to meet with CAIR-NJ following its request that Governor Murphy cancel his trip to India in light of recent actions taken by the Indian government in Kashmir

In his letter, CAIR-NJ Executive Director Jim Sues states:

Mr. Sandeep Chakravorty

Consul General of India

3 East 64th Street

New York, NY 10065

Mr. Shatrughna Sinha

Deputy Consul General of India

3 East 64th Street

New York, NY 10065

RE: CAIR-New Jersey’s Call on Governor Phil Murphy to Cancel Trip to India Over Kashmir Crisis

Dear Consul General Chakravorty and Deputy Consul General Sinha:

This letter is in response to the Deputy Consul General office’s Friday, August 16 electronic correspondence to the New Jersey chapter for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-New Jersey) expressing “some concern” and seeking an “exchange of views” regarding our call for New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy to cancel his upcoming September trip to the Republic of India in response to India’s illegal actions in Kashmir.

We regret that we must decline your invitation to meet with a representative of the Consulate General of India – as no CAIR-New Jersey staff member at this time can in good conscience meet with an Indian government representative due to:

• India’s illegal revocation of Article 370 of the Indian constitution, thereby stripping Muslim majority Kashmir of its protected status;
• the Indian military’s continued communications and internet blackout of Kashmir;
• reportedly forceable detention of 4,000 elected Kashmiri political leaders, business leaders, civil society members and rights activists in secret jails by Indian forces; and,
• gross human rights abuses of Kashmiri residents by Indian security forces in Kashmir valley. 

The Indian government’s mobilization of more than 40,000 to 50,000 additional military personnel to the existing 700,000 stationed troops in the region has made it the most militarized region of the world. Since the Kashmir campaign for self-determination escalated in 1989, more than 70,000 people have been killed and reports of gang rapes by Indian military abound. Some 8,000 to 10,000 people have “disappeared” since 2016, and more than 6,000 have suffered eye injuries from pellet guns, in what the New York Times called “an epidemic of dead eyes.”

Though India has eroded Kashmir’s semi-autonomy over the years, the removal of Article 370 is a brazen show of force and demonstrates disregard for the political aspirations of Kashmiris who have been waiting for the right to self-determination since it was promised by UN Resolution 47 in 1948.

Kashmiris were neither consulted nor informed of the move, making the actions unconstitutional and illegal. This revocation also paves the way for India to change the demographics in the valley.

We are also seriously concerned that the Indian government is opening detention centers for Muslim “migrants” in the Indian state of Assam, where non-migrant Muslims, including an Indian Muslim who honorably served in the Indian army as a captain, have been detained. Prime Minister Modi plans to open these detention centers across India is causing widespread fear and panic in the Indian Muslim community.

More outrageously, Mr. Modi’s government has tried to pass a new citizenship bill in the Indian Parliament that would create a pathway to citizenship for migrants from neighboring countries that are Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, and practice other religions — but leaves out Muslims. Thankfully, that discriminatory bill has stalled in the upper house of parliament.

CAIR-New Jersey also believes that it would be morally irresponsible to meet with any representatives of the Indian government appointed under the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), whose leaders have been credibly accused of encouraging “communal violence,” and failing to forcefully condemn or put a stop to recent mobs of violent Hindu nationalists lynching, murdering and brutally beating minorities, especially Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, and members of lower castes within India’s society.

Since Mr. Modi was re-elected on May 21, there has been a 400 percent increase in violence against Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, and Dalits. Reports in the media indicate that victims of such communal violence are beaten and murdered while mobs shout or force their victims to repeat the phrase: "Jai Shri Ram," which as you likely know means “Praise Lord Ram”,  one of the gods in the Hindu pantheon of gods.

Moreover, the 2019 University of California at Berkeley study tilted “Islamophobia in India: Stoking Bigotry,” found that the 10 Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Telangana and Assam collectively accounted for 1,972 cases of politically-motivated violence, and implicated BJP leaders of stoking “communal violence” and hate. 

At present, CAIR-New Jersey remains committed to advancing its advocacy campaign calling on Governor Murphy to cancel his upcoming six-day September trip to the Republic of India – as New Jersey should not prioritize potential economic benefits over the Indian government’s egregious actions in Kashmir and BJP leadership’s open hostility towards religious minorities in India.

Regardless of whether or not New Jersey Governor Murphy cancels his trip to India, CAIR-New Jersey plans to continue building coalitions based on mutual understanding to intensify calls on elected state officials and business leaders to refuse engagement with the government of India. We will also continue to coordinate with our national office and network of chapters nationwide to put pressure on the U.S. government to adopt a policy of seeking the immediate reinstatement of Article 370 and the right of residents of Jammu and Kashmir to self-determination.

We look forward to a day when the above-mentioned concerns are no longer relevant and India respects both the rights of Kashmiris to self-determination and the safety of its religious minorities.

Please have your staff contact our office should there be any new developments related to these concerns.

Sincerely,

James R. Sues

Executive Director

CAIR New Jersey

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CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos. 

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CONTACT: CAIR-NJ Executive Director James Sues, 908-668-5900, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

(SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ, 8/7/2019) -- The New Jersey chapter for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ) today called on that state’s Governor Phil Murphy to cancel his planned economic mission trip to India in September in consideration of the plight of the millions of people now under siege in the Kashmir valley at the hands of the Indian government.

“The Governor has an opportunity to make a statement to the world regarding New Jersey’s stance on the marginalization of a religious minority,” said CAIR New Jersey Executive Director Jim Sues. “By embarking on this mission, with the full knowledge of the steps recently taken by the Indian government, Governor Murphy would in effect be legitimizing and endorsing these illegal and inhumane actions.” 

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED: EMAIL NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR PHIL MURPHY

https://www.votervoice.net/CAIR/campaigns/67803/respond

BACKGROUNDER:

The focus of the governor’s mission is to strengthen economic ties with one of New Jersey’s largest trade and investment partners, cultivate international investment opportunities in the Garden State and deepen cultural and educational ties between New Jersey and India.

SEE: Governor Phil Murphy to Lead Economic Mission Trip to India

https://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/562019/approved/20190715a.shtml

On Monday, the Indian government revoked Article 370 of the constitution, taking away the protected status of the Indian-controlled state of Jammu and Kashmir. The legal maneuvering that led to the revocation of Article 370 has been widely panned by legal experts as unconstitutional and a complaint has already been filed in the Indian Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the revocation.

For more than 70 years, this protected status granted autonomy to the Indian-controlled state of Jammu and Kashmir in all matters except defense, foreign affairs, and finance and communication. The accession of the Princely state of Jammu and Kashmir to India in 1947 was conditioned on a protected status for Jammu and Kashmir. United Nations Security Council Resolution 47, passed in 1948, allowed the people of Jammu and Kashmir a plebiscite to determine their future.

Yesterday, CAIR’s Washington, D.C., headquarters issued an action alert on the Kashmir issue.

CAIR ACTION ALERT: Urge State Department to Pressure India to End Lockdown, Lift Curfew and End Siege of Kashmir Valley

https://www.cair.com/cair_action_alert_urge_state_department_to_pressure_india_to_end_lockdown_lift_curfew_and_end_siege_of_kashmir_valley

CAIR’s National Executive Director Nihad Awad also spoke at a protest outside the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C. and condemned recent actions taken by the Indian government.

SEE: CAIR National Executive Director Speaking at Protest on Kashmir Crisis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvDQAQ6Mqew

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.

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CONTACT: CAIR-NJ Executive Director Jim Sues, 908-668-5900, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Second time this week that Muslim civil rights group challenges Islamophobia expressed by state officials

(SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ, 7/24/2019) -- The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ) today called for the resignation of another Islamophobic state official -- Sussex County Republican chairman Jerry Scanlan -- who allowed the party’s Twitter page to be used for racist, anti-Muslim and xenophobic tweets.

Scanlan, the county party chair since 2015, also serves as the vice chairman of Sussex County Community College, whose trustees on Tuesday said they would review the voluminous social media commentaries after four audience members raised objections during their 5 p.m. meeting.

One of the shared memes, from July 19, described four freshman Democratic congresswomen of color as the “Wh***s of Babble-on.” One retweet shows the 9/11 attack in New York and asks, “How did we go from this to being afraid of offending Muslims.”

SEE: ‘Racist, Islamophobic and xenophobic’ tweets shared by county GOP

https://www.nj.com/sussex-county/2019/07/racist-islamophobic-and-xenophobic-tweets-shared-county-gop.html

“While we can be certain that these tweets are not reflective of the values of the Sussex County Community College, we sincerely hope that this kind of bias-motivated mocking and intimidation is not reflective of the New Jersey Republican Party,” said CAIR-NJ Executive Director James Sues. “If indeed it is not, Jerry Scanlan should be removed from his position as the county’s GOP chairman. New Jersey epitomizes a welcoming spirit of inclusivity that we are all proud of. Nobody wants to be dragged back to the dark ages of racism and bigotry that are characterized by these posts.”

Sues noted that this is second time in two days that the Muslim civil rights group has challenged anti-Muslim hate by state officials.  Just yesterday CAIR-NJ called for the resignation of Toms River Board of Education member Dan Leonard for anti-Muslim and racist Facebook posts.

SEE: CAIR-NJ Calls for Resignation of Board of Education Member Who Shared Anti-Muslim, Racist Posts

https://www.cair.com/cair_nj_calls_for_resignation_of_board_of_education_member_who_shared_anti_muslim_racist_posts

The Washington-based civil rights organization has reported an unprecedented spike in bigotry targeting American Muslims, immigrants and members of other minority groups since the election of Donald Trump as president.

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.  

La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.

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CONTACT: CAIR-NJ Executive Director James Sues, 908-668-5900, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ, 7/23/2019) -- The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ) today called for the resignation of Toms River Board of Education member Dan Leonard who shared racist and Islamophobic posts on his Facebook account.

Leonard, who chairs the “Safety, Security and Transportation Committee” of the Toms River Board of Education shared a post depicting an image of Freshman Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib with caption, “My life would be complete if she/they die. . .”

Other posts include an image of a bruised Barbie doll in a headscarf with the meme “Sharia Barbie, Comes with Jihab [sic], bruises, & Quran, Stoning accessories available for additional purchase.” and an image of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar with the comment, “Terrorist. . .100%.” [NOTE: “Jihab” is an apparent reference to the Islamic head scarf, or “hijab.”]

SEE ISLAMOPHOBIC POSTS:  https://tinyurl.com/NJIslamophobicPosts

"The bigoted, hateful and threatening social media posts shared by this elected board of education official serve to disqualify him for any position that has responsibility for the safety, security and well-being of New Jersey’s diverse student body,” said CAIR-NJ Executive Director James Sues. "The bigoted views expressed by Mr. Leonard have no place in an educational system that seeks to celebrate diversity and encourage students of all faiths and backgrounds to excel scholastically and to make positive contributions to our society. This is just a painful reminder of the extreme divisiveness that characterizes the current political climate at the national level.”

He noted that CAIR offers anti-bullying and bystander intervention workshops, as well as a free series of guides to explain relevant Muslim religious practices to employers, educators, healthcare providers, and law enforcement and correctional facility agents.

SEE: Guides to Muslim Religious Practices

https://www.cair.com/guides-to-muslim-religious-practices

The Washington-based civil rights organization has reported an unprecedented spike in bigotry targeting American Muslims, immigrants and members of other minority groups since the election of Donald Trump as president.

SEE: CAIR-Colorado Calls for Hate Crime Probe of Vandalism Targeting Denver Church

https://www.cair.com/cair_colorado_calls_for_hate_crime_probe_of_vandalism_targeting_denver_church

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.  

La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.

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CONTACT: CAIR-NJ Executive Director James Sues, 908-668-5900, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.