(Houston, Texas,12/17/19) — The Council on American-Islamic Relations, Houston Chapter, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, is calling on all Americans to urge their U.S. House representative to co-sponsor and support the adoption of a bipartisan resolution by Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and Steve Watkins (R-KA) — House Resolution 745 — on Jammu and Kashmir
House Resolution 745 is titled: “Urging the Republic of India to end the restrictions on communications and mass detentions in Jammu and Kashmir as swiftly as possible and preserve religious freedom for all residents.”
CAIR notes that Congresswoman Jayapal is the first Indian-American woman elected to Congress.
ACT NOW: Urge Congress to Support Bipartisan Resolution Against Indian Government’s Abuses in Jammu and Kashmir
In August, the Indian government illegally revoked Article 370 of the constitution, taking away the protected status of the Indian-controlled state of Jammu and Kashmir. The legal maneuvering that led to the revocation of Article 370 has been widely panned by legal experts as unconstitutional and a complaint has already been filed in the Indian Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the revocation. The Indian government’s mobilization of more than 50,000 additional military personnel to the existing 750,000 stationed troops in the region has also made it the most militarized region of the world.
Since revoking Article 370, India’s military has maintained a continued communications and internet blackout of Kashmir, forcibly detained some 4,000elected Kashmiri political leaders, business leaders, civil society members, and rights activists in secret jails and levied a near-constant curfew on the region’s 8 million residents. There are widespread reports of torture of detainees. Indian security forces have also arrested children and kept their whereabouts secret from their parents.
On December 5, CAIR also urged the U.S. House representative to co-sponsor and support the adoption of Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib’s (D-MI) House Resolution 724 condemning the human rights violations taking place in Jammu and Kashmir and supporting Kashmiri self-determination.
In October, CAIR submitted a written statement to the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and Nonproliferation’s hearing on “Human Rights in South Asia: Views from the State Department and the Region.” CAIR’s statement focuses on Kashmir and the Indian government’s revocation of that region’s protected status and accompanying human rights abuses. The hearing was convened by Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA).
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT:
CAIR-Houston Development and Outreach Coordinator, Ambreen Hernandez, 973-495-0976; ahernandez@cair.com
Executive Director, Lubabah Abdullah, Esq.(713) 838-2247; labdullah@cair.com
