A group of more than 30 American lawmakers headed by Congresswoman Ilhan Omar introduced a bill in the House of Representatives against growing incidents of Islamophobia around the globe, PTI reported.
According to the agency, the bill urges the State Department to include state-sponsored Islamophobic violence and impunity in its annual human rights reports.
The group of over 30 US lawmakers said that the creation of this bill will help policymakers better understand the interconnected, global problem of anti-Muslim bigotry and establish a comprehensive strategy for establishing American leadership in combating Islamophobia globally.
The proponents of bill requires the State Department to create a Special Envoy have put India in the category of China and Myanmar for alleged atrocities against Muslims, as per reports.
In the past, the Ministry of External Affairs has asserted that India is proud of its secular credentials, largest democracy and pluralistic society with a longstanding commitment to tolerance and inclusion.
If further said that Indian Constitution guarantees fundamental rights to all its citizens, including the minority communities.
“It is widely acknowledged that India is a vibrant democracy where the Constitution protects religious freedom, and where democratic governance and the rule of law further promote and protect fundamental rights,” the MEA said.
In a press statement issued by her office, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar said, “We are seeing a rise in Islamophobia in nearly every corner of the globe.”
There has been a staggering rise in incidents of violent Islamophobia, she said.
The press release read, “Whether it is the atrocities committed against the Uyghurs in China and the Rohingya in Burma (Myanmar), the crackdowns on Muslim populations in India and Sri Lanka, the scapegoating of Muslim refugees and other Muslims in Hungary and Poland, the acts of white supremacist violence targeting Muslims in New Zealand and Canada, or the targeting of minority Muslim communities in Muslim-majority countries like Pakistan, Bahrain and Iran, the problem of Islamophobia is global in scope.”
Several Organizations have endorsed the Combating International Islamophobia Act, including the American Muslim Empowerment Network (AMEN), the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT).
(Inputs from PTI)
