Our Bureau
Washington, DC
The US recently addressed a news article highlighting the poor condition of the Muslim community in India and expressed its commitment to promoting universal respect for freedom of religion. The US is engaging with countries globally, including India, on this crucial aspect. The statement follows an article by The New York Times titled “Strangers in Their Own Land: Being Muslim in Modi’s India,” which alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has “chipped away at the secular framework and robust democracy” since assuming office. The article also claimed that Indian Muslim families grapple with anguish and isolation as they try to raise their children in a nation that increasingly questions their very identity.
Additionally, a recent report by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India stated that the share of the Muslim population in India increased from 9.84% to 14.09% between 1950 and 2015. Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted this report and claimed that the perception that “minority is in danger” is false and has been exposed.
The US’s commitment to equal treatment for all religious communities is an important step in promoting tolerance and understanding globally. “We are deeply committed to promoting and protecting universal respect for the right to freedom of religion or belief from all around the world,” said US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller while responding to the article. “We have engaged many countries including India on the importance of equal treatment for members of all religious communities.”
