Indian Americans condemn cowardly terror attack in Kashmir

Washington, D.C. (April 22, 2025) – The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) today unequivocally condemned the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which killed at least 26 tourists and injured over 20 others, marking the region’s deadliest terror attack since 2019.

“We unequivocally condemn the barbaric and cowardly attack in Pahalgam that has taken so many innocent lives,” said IAMC President Mohammed Jawad. “We stand in unequivocal solidarity with the victims and their families, and call for accountability and justice ” 

The attack comes amid a broader context of unrest and repression in Kashmir. In 2024, the Muslim-majority region entered its fourth year under the direct rule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, following the abrogation of its special autonomous status in August 2019.

Leading global human rights organizations, including the United Nations, have consistently raised alarm over widespread abuses in the region—ranging from mass surveillance and arbitrary arrests to the closure of mosques during major Muslim holidays, land dispossession, and discriminatory policies targeting Kashmir’s Muslim population. Journalists and human rights defenders face particularly harsh treatment, with many detained under India’s draconian anti-terrorism laws.

“For all the grandstanding about ‘normalcy’ in Kashmir, this attack lays bare the emptiness of those claims. If this is what normal looks like under Prime Minister Modi’s rule—massive militarization, silencing of dissent, and civilians caught in the crossfire—then it’s a damning indictment, not an achievement,” said Jawad. “We call on the Indian government to ensure a swift, transparent, and accountable investigation—not only to bring the perpetrators to justice but also to ensure that such violence does not become an excuse for collective punishment, arbitrary detentions, or repression of civilians.”