CHICAGO, IL(TIP): Over the two days leading up the launch of the World Hindu Congress (WHC) 2018 in Chicago, delegations from Organization for Minorities of India (OFMI) visited U.S. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi’s (D-IL) district office in Schaumburg and his Capitol Hill office in Washington, D.C. to register protest against the congressman’s presence at the event.
“The World Hindu Congress is a point of concern for us as citizens, as voters, and also as advocates of those who are underrepresented because the World Hindu Congress, under the guise of a religious event, is actually a partisan political event,” remarked activist Jada Bernard in a September 6 meeting at the Schaumburg office.
In conversation with Staff Assistant Yasmeen Bankole, he said the WHC was organized by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and featured Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leaders as its keynote speakers. Describing how these groups fall under the umbrella term “Sangh Parivar,” he explained, “Sangh Parivar groups represent Hindutva, which is Hindu supremacy. That ideology is responsible for violence in the past, and because it’s responsible for violence in the past, any association with this group in the present could damage elections in the future. That’s pretty much our warning. Voters care about lives, even if the Sangh Parivar groups don’t.”
On the previous day, Pawan Singh visited Krishnamoorthi’s D.C. office. In a meeting with Legislative Director Sam Morgante, he explained how the RSS engages in violence against minorities in India. Discussing the groups involved in the conference, Singh named Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA) and Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS), pointing out that the HSS is the international wing of the RSS.
“When Mr. Morgante asked me if the RSS in India is any different from the HSS, I told him no,” says Singh. “Everything falls under the RSS shell organization. I told him our concern is that events like this are trying to legitimize the genocides of minorities committed by the RSS. Our concern is that these terrorist groups should not be given a platform on American soil.” Speaking in Illinois, Bernard added, “We also want to make other congressional representatives aware of this, but we also want to kind of give a warning because, when congressional representatives show up at events like this, it associates them with the ideology.”
Both Bernard and Singh presented the offices they visited with an 18-page information packet. The executive summary of the packet states, “The organizers and many keynote speakers are part of a militant religious nationalist movement which, according to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, ‘holds non-Hindus as foreign to India.’ As per reports from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the U.S. State Department, these groups persecute India’s minorities (especially Muslims and Christians), sponsor pogroms, and are implicated in daily acts of violence against marginalized peoples who do not participate in their supremacist agenda.”
On Capitol Hill, Singh also visited the offices of Representatives Ro Khanna (D-CA), Ami Bera (D-CA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Jeff Denham (R-CA), David Valado (R-CA), John Garamendi (D-CA), and Tom McClintock (R-CA), and had a brief personal meeting with Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI).
Subsequently, on September 8th and 9th, protestors demonstrated outside the WHC for several hours each day. One protestor, a local Muslim man, commented on a placard which read, “VHP, RSS, BJP carried pogrom of Gujarat.” Describing how the Sangh Parivar groups perpetrated violence against Muslims, he said, “I would like the city of Lombard and our congressman, Raja Krishnamoorthi, to not share dais with these killers and hate-mongers.”
Adding that he had previously voted for the congressman, he said, “I was very much impressed when he came out at O’Hare to talk about anti-immigration when Trump administration banned visas for six Muslim nations. I like the speech which Raja Krishnamoorthi gave at O’Hare. I’m a big supporter of his speech.” In conclusion, he suggested that “I would, definitely” continue supporting the congressman if he had withdrawn from the WHC, as did Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, who called it a “partisan Indian political event.”
Organization for Minorities of India was founded in 2006 to advance individual liberties of Christians, Buddhists, Dalits, Muslims, Sikhs, and all Mulnivasi people of South Asia by encouraging secularism, progressive human rights, liberation of oppressed peoples, and universal human dignity. Visit OFMI.org for more information.
(Based on a Press Release issued by OFMI)
whoah this blog is fantastic i love reading your posts. Stay up the great work! You already know, a lot of persons are searching round for this info, you could aid them greatly.
제주에서 가라오케를 알아볼 때는 위치와 이용 구성을 함께 확인하면 좋습니다. 제주가라오케 안내에 방문 전에 확인할 항목들이 정리돼 있습니다.
This is a very good tips especially to those new to blogosphere, brief and accurate information… Thanks for sharing this one. A must read article.
Thank you for the sensible critique. Me & my neighbor were just preparing to do some research on this. We got a grab a book from our local library but I think I learned more from this post. I am very glad to see such excellent information being shared freely out there.
I really pleased to find this web site on bing, just what I was searching for : D as well bookmarked.
I have been exploring for a bit for any high-quality articles or blog posts in this sort of area . Exploring in Yahoo I ultimately stumbled upon this website. Studying this info So i am happy to show that I’ve a very good uncanny feeling I discovered just what I needed. I most indisputably will make certain to do not disregard this website and give it a glance on a continuing basis.
Rattling excellent visual appeal on this web site, I’d value it 10 10.
Regards for helping out, good info. “Considering how dangerous everything is, nothing is really very frightening.” by Gertrude Stein.
I gotta favorite this website it seems handy very helpful
My developer is trying to convince me to move to .net from PHP. I have always disliked the idea because of the costs. But he’s tryiong none the less. I’ve been using Movable-type on numerous websites for about a year and am nervous about switching to another platform. I have heard good things about blogengine.net. Is there a way I can import all my wordpress content into it? Any help would be really appreciated!
After all, what a great site and informative posts, I will upload inbound link – bookmark this web site? Regards, Reader.
I think this is one of the so much significant information for me. And i am satisfied studying your article. But want to observation on few normal things, The web site taste is wonderful, the articles is truly great :D. Excellent process, cheers
Those are yours alright! . We at least need to get these people stealing images to start blogging! They probably just did a image search and grabbed them. They look good though!
Great post. I am facing a couple of these problems.
This one got that sauce
می تونم توی بلاگم قرار بدم؟
Thank you a lot for sharing this with all folks you really realize what you are talking about! Bookmarked. Please additionally discuss with my site =). We will have a link trade arrangement among us!
Awesome website you have here but I was wondering if you knew of any community forums that cover the same topics discussed here? I’d really like to be a part of group where I can get advice from other experienced people that share the same interest. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Thanks!
I truly appreciate this post. I’ve been looking all over for this! Thank goodness I found it on Bing. You have made my day! Thx again
Good day I am so happy I found your weblog, I really found you by mistake, while I was browsing on Digg for something else, Regardless I am here now and would just like to say kudos for a incredible post and a all round exciting blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to read it all at the minute but I have bookmarked it and also included your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read a great deal more, Please do keep up the excellent job.
There are actually loads of details like that to take into consideration. That may be a nice level to deliver up. I offer the thoughts above as basic inspiration however clearly there are questions just like the one you convey up where crucial thing will probably be working in sincere good faith. I don?t know if greatest practices have emerged around things like that, but I am certain that your job is clearly identified as a good game. Both girls and boys really feel the impression of only a moment’s pleasure, for the remainder of their lives.
Thanks for another fantastic post. Where else may anybody get that kind of info in such a perfect method of writing? I’ve a presentation subsequent week, and I’m at the look for such info.
I believe that is among the such a lot vital information for me. And i’m glad studying your article. But want to statement on few normal things, The site taste is great, the articles is truly great :D. Excellent activity, cheers
Greetings from Los angeles! I’m bored to tears at work so I decided to browse your site on my iphone during lunch break. I love the info you provide here and can’t wait to take a look when I get home. I’m amazed at how fast your blog loaded on my mobile .. I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G .. Anyways, superb site!
It’s actually a nice and useful piece of information. I am satisfied that you simply shared this useful info with us. Please keep us up to date like this. Thank you for sharing.
You have brought up a very wonderful points, thanks for the post.
I really like examining and I believe this website got some genuinely useful stuff on it! .
We’re a bunch of volunteers and opening a brand new scheme in our community. Your website provided us with helpful information to paintings on. You’ve done an impressive activity and our entire group will probably be grateful to you.
I just couldn’t go away your website prior to suggesting that I extremely loved the standard information a person supply for your visitors? Is gonna be again steadily in order to inspect new posts.
I envy your piece of work, appreciate it for all the useful articles.
Some genuinely superb info , Gladiola I discovered this. “What we say is important for in most cases the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” by Jim Beggs.
You really make it appear really easy together with your presentation but I to find this topic to be actually one thing which I feel I might never understand. It kind of feels too complicated and extremely large for me. I’m having a look forward for your subsequent publish, I’ll attempt to get the hang of it!
Thank you, I have recently been looking for info approximately this subject for a while and yours is the best I’ve came upon so far. But, what about the conclusion? Are you positive about the supply?
Thanks a lot for sharing this with all of us you actually know what you are talking about! Bookmarked. Kindly also visit my web site =). We could have a link exchange arrangement between us!
I think this is among the most vital info for me. And i’m glad reading your article. But want to remark on few general things, The site style is great, the articles is really excellent :D. Good job, cheers