Media Invite: Panel Discussion on Religious Freedom in India at IRF Summit
Government-backed religious nationalism is recipe for disaster for hundreds of millions of non-Hindus in India
WASHINGTON, D.C (July 13, 2021) – Hosted by the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), religious, secular, academic and political leaders will gather today at 4 p.m. in the Governor’s Boardroom at the Omni Shoreham Hotel for “Religious Freedom in India: Challenges and Opportunities” a one-hour panel discussion about the egregious human rights and religious freedoms violations by the Indian government in the name of Hindu nationalism. The discussion is a part of the opening-day events during the 2021 International Religious Freedom Summit and is open to all IRF Summit registrants.
“The culture of impunity and Indian government’s complicity led to the open persecution and killing of Indian Muslims, Indian Christians and other non-Hindus across India,” said Rasheed Ahmed, executive director of IAMC. “In our panel discussion, we will discuss India’s diminished standing in the world because of the religiously motivated killings, assaults, discrimination and actions that restrict the right of people to practice their religious beliefs in India. We will debate solutions, and we will call upon world leaders to support human rights and religious freedoms.”
Speakers at the panel discussion include:
- Joanne Lin, national director, Amnesty International USA
- Anurima Bhargava, commissioner, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
- Sravya Tadepalli, board member, Hindus for Human Rights
- Evangeline Anderson-Rajkumar, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
- Tabassum Haleem, CEO, Islamic Networks Group
- Anantanand Rambachan, professor of religion, St. Olaf College in Minnesota
- Neha Sahgal, associate director, Pew Research Center
Participating members of Congress include:
- S. Rep. Andy Levin (Michigan)
- S. Sen. Ed Markey (Massachusetts)
- S. Rep. Marie Newman (Illinois)
Media Contact: Jennifer McLucas / Clearview Communications + PR
828-335-2514, jennifer@clearviewcom.com
