Pluralistic Societies

GUJARAT CHIEF MINISTER NARENDRA MODI

 A few articles - first one from the United States Commission on Religious Freedom and the second from Coalition against genocide.

Neither the Gujaratis nor Gujarat are to be blamed. Please hold the temptations to label the genocide to either, it is not them, it is the individuals who have committed the crimes against other Gujaratis. Remember both the criminals and victims are Gujaratis, no Gujarati should be offended with the ongoings, it is not about them, it is about the criminals regardless of the religious label they wear. Religion does not permit one to murder others and our civil laws must punish the criminals.

Blame the individuals, let each one of them be brought to justice, may be a fair trail outside the state of Gujarat will work, no criminal should be spared.

We have to establish our civility that we are a nation of laws that gives the security to every Indian; to a man who lives in the Jhompdi (Plastic Huts) to the man or woman who lives in castles. Every Indians should feel safe, as the law would take care of the wrong doers. We need to muster up the courage to speak up and follow dharma, the right path.

Chief Minister Modi has a responsibility to the well being of every citizen of Gujarat, he lacks the courage to express that and has the ego that prevents him from doing the right thing – to apologize to the citizens of Gujarat and restore their lives and bring justice. It is in the interests of real prosperity as opposed to the limping prosperity, he should consider that, it will give him the Mukti. It will bring peace to every Gujarati and every Indian. It takes a man to do it, and I hope Modi has the guts to do it and turn things around.

Mike Ghouse
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GUJARAT CHIEF MINISTER NARENDRA MODI

USCIRF Urges Denial of U.S. Visa to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 8, 2008

Contact: Judith Ingram
Communications Director
(202) 523-3240, ext. 127

WASHINGTON - The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom urges the U.S. State Department to reaffirm its past decision to deny a tourist visa to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who has been invited to attend a conference in New Jersey this August celebrating Gujarati culture. Modi was previously denied entrance to the United States due to his role in riots that overtook the Indian state of Gujarat from February to May 2002 in which reportedly as many as 2,000 Muslims were killed, thousands raped, and over 200,000 displaced. Numerous reports, including reports of official bodies of the Government of India, have documented the role of Modi's state government in the planning and execution of the violence, and the failure to hold perpetrators accountable.

Following Modi's invitation to attend conferences in the U.S. in 2005, the Commission successfully urged the State Department to revoke Modi's U.S. tourist visa. Despite pressure from the Indian government, the State Department revoked his visa under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which prohibits foreign government officials who are "responsible for or directly carried out, at any time, particularly severe violations of religious freedom" from obtaining U.S. visas. This section was added to the INA by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. The Commission once again urges the State Department to announce Modi's ineligibility for a visa under the terms of the INA.

"We have not seen changes that would warrant a policy reversal," said Commission Chair Felice D. Gaer. "As official bodies of the government of India have found, Narendra Modi is culpable for the egregious and systematic human rights abuses wrought against thousands of India's Muslims. Mr. Modi must demonstrate to the State Department and to the American people why he-as a person found to have aided and abetted gross violations of human rights, including religious freedom-should now be eligible for a tourist visa.

Following the riots in 2002, India's National Human Rights Commission issued a report that pointed to the role of Modi's government in the systematic murder of Muslims and the calculated destruction of Muslim homes and businesses. In 2003, the Indian central government found corruption and anti-Muslim bias to be so pervasive in the Gujarat judiciary that riot cases were shifted for trial to the neighboring state of Maharashtra. Despite this action, the lack of justice for victims remains a serious concern, as there have been very few court convictions in the six years since the religion-based riots. In 2007, a series of articles in the Indian publication Tehelka documented police officers and government officials on audio and videotape confessing that they facilitated the violence, at times at the direct behest of Modi.

"The inaction of Gujarat's government and police force in the face of severe violence against religious minorities is an inexcusable abuse of international human rights obligations," Gaer said.

URL: http://www.uscirf.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2219&Itemid=1

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NRIs to thwart Modi visa attempt
Friday, July 04, 2008
THE ASIAN AGE
http://www.asianage.com/presentation/leftnavigation/news/india/nris-to-thwart-modi-visa-attempt.aspx


Deny US visa to Modi: NRI panel to Rice
Lalit K Jha
Wednesday, July 2, 2008 (New York)
NDTV
http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080055338


Indian-Americans divided over invitation to Modi
3 Jul 2008, 1239 hrs IST
TIMES OF INDIA
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Indians_Abroad/NRIs_divided_over_invitation_to_Modi/articleshow/3191843.cms


US Indians split over Modi invitation
Thursday, 03 July 2008
MSN India
http://nri.in.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1537593


Indian Americans divided over invitation to Narendra Modi
Thursday, July 3, 2008 : 0945 Hrs
THE HINDU
http://www.thehindu.com/holnus/001200807030921.htm


NRI bodies oppose US visa to Modi
Thursday, July 03, 2008 at 2248 hrs IST
THE INDIAN EXPRESS
http://www.indianexpress.com/story/330491.html


Indian Americans divided over invitation to Narendra Modi
New York, July 03, 2008
HINDUSTAN TIMES
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/Print.aspx?Id=898bd669-e394-4bd0-9fb7-59bac282768b


US urged to deny visa to head of Indian state
By: Vishal Arora.
Friday, 4th July 2008. 11:29am
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE, UK
http://www.religiousintelligence.co.uk/news/?NewsID=2244



NRI bodies oppose US visa to Modi
Thu, Jul 3 02:10 AM
YAHOO! NEWS INDIA
http://in.news.yahoo.com/48/20080703/814/tnl-nri-bodies-oppose-us-visa-to-modi.html


Indian Americans divided over invitation to Narendra Modi
July 03, 2008
ZEE NEWS
http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?aid=452822&sid=NAT&sname=


No visa for Modi, activists urge Condoleeza Rice
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
HEADLINE NEWS
http://www.headlinesindia.com/archive_html/02July2008_78390.html


Indian Americans divided over invitation to Narendra Modi
3 Jul, 2008
ECONOMIC TIMES
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/PoliticsNation/Indian_Americans_divided_over_invitation_to_Narendra_Modi_/articleshow/3191432.cms


Continue visa ban on Modi: Indian American orgs to US
Wed, 07/02/2008 - 06:01.
TWOCIRCLES.NET
http://www.indianmuslims.info/news/2008/jul/01/continue_visa_ban_modi_indian_american_orgs_us.html


Indian Americans divided over invitation to Narendra Modi
Dharam Shourie in New York
July 03, 2008
REDIFF.COM
http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/jul/03modi.htm


'No visa for Narendra Modi'
Wednesday, July 02, 2008 19:40 IST
Daily News & Analysis (DNA-India)
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1175163


Indian Americans divided over invitation to Narendra Modi
New York, Jul 3, 2008
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA
http://www.ptinews.com/pti%5Cptisite.nsf/$All/880C6E3042B96B7A6525747B0016F6A9?OpenDocument


No visa for Modi, activists urge US
Wed, Jul 2 06:31 PM
YAHOO! NEWS
http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20080702/818/tnl-no-visa-for-modi-activists-urge-us.html


No visa for Modi, activists urge US
Jul 04, 2008
MANGALOREAN
http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newsid=83384&newstype=local


US association against visa to Modi
2008-07-03 16:46:05
GUJARAT GLOBAL News Network
http://www.gujaratglobal.com/nextSub.php?id=4189&cattype=NEWS


Deny US visa to Modi: NRI panel to Rice
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
KERALA NEXT
http://www.keralanext.com/news/?id=134269576


'No visa for Modi'
Updated: 07-03-2008
ANDHRA CAFE
http://andhracafe.com/index.php?m=show&id=34996


No visa for Modi, activists urge US
Submitted on Wed, 07/02/2008
INDIANMUSLIMS.INFO
http://www.indianmuslims.info/news/2008/jul/02/no_visa_modi_activists_urge_us.html


No visa for Modi, activists urge US
Ahmedabad July 02, 2008 7:05:08 PM IST
WEBINDIA
http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articles/World/20080702/989825.html


NRIs to thwart Modi visa attempt
03 July, 2008
HOWRAH
http://howrah.org/india_news/17881.html



No visa for Modi, activists urge US
July 2nd, 2008
THAINDIAN
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/politics/no-visa-for-modi-activists-urge-us_10067025.html
 

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