We live in critical times. Along with the Corona virus pandemic, the pandemic of hate is ravaging our world. One of the most violent and dangerous proponents of ultranationalism and religious supremacism is trying to infiltrate a world summit being held to fight religious extremism.

This year, the G20 summit, a meeting of 20 of the larger economies of the world will be presided over by Indonesia. The summit is being held in Bali in Nov. 2022. As part of the religious forum, 2 weeks before the summit, an Indonesian Islamic think tank, the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) will host a 2 day summit 

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the international Hindu supremacist and ultranationalist movement based in India which is the ideological parent of the ruling party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The RSS follows the ideology of Hindutva (Appendix 1) and seeks to make India into a Hindu nation. Ram Madhav, a committee member of the RSS is among the prime movers from India. He had met earlier with officials of the NU to promote summits such as these a permanent global platform. He is also scheduled as one of the main speakers at the event.

Officials of the NU should know that by hosting any functionary of the RSS, they are white-washing, and tacitly supporting the hate currently sweeping India. The RSS is born from fascist ideas of Mussolini and early leaders openly praised Hitler’s methods as “one to learn by” for India. India’s Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and Dalits (the lowest rung of the Hindu caste hierarchy) are routinely subject to attacks, lynchings, rape, and are being systemically marginalized in the country that advertises itself as the “World’s Largest Democracy”. The RSS cannot distance itself from the silence of the Prime Minister, a member of the RSS, on these attacks. Silence is tacit approval. Hosting Ram Madhav is a tacit approval, which Indonesia should understand firmly and squarely.

This should not stand. We, the undersigned leaders of world organizations working on human and religious rights, call upon the NU authorities to

1) Include Hindutva as an equally important problem as are supremacist distortion of Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, etc.

2) Denounce all violent religious supremacist and violent ultranationalist ideologies and groups as unacceptable including Islamic State (ISIS), Al Qaeda, Boko Haram, Badr, the Hezbollah Brigades, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, Rashtrya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), World Hindu Council/Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Bajrang Dal, Abhinav Bharat (Pride of India), the Rashtriya Jagran Manch (National Revival Forum), the Sri Ram Sene (Army of god Rama), the Hindu Dharam Sena (Army for Hindu Religion), the Sanatan Sanstha (Eternal Organization)KKK, Neo Nazis groups, Ma Ba Tha, Bodu Bala Sena, Kach, Kahane Chai and other similar violent fanatic groups.

3) Disinvite Ram Madhav from speaking at the summit unless he denounces the RSS.

If Ram Madhav is allowed to speak then RSS will claim legitimacy and acceptance of its genocidal policies and both Nahdatul Ulama and R20 summit will lose credibility. This cannot be and should not be allowed

Released by:

Alliance to Save and Protect America from Infiltration by Religious Extremists (ASPAIRE.org)

Coalition of Americans for Pluralism in India (CAPI-USA.org)  

Justice America
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[1]https://theprint.in/world/you-know-g20-now-theres-r20-a-push-for-moderate-islam-with-links-to-rsss-ram-madhav/1099400/

 

Appendix 1:

What is Hindutva ?

Hindutva or Hindu nationalism, is a right-wing majoritarian political ideology that guides the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the current ruling party of India led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Its core belief is that India’s national identity should be synonymous with a Hindu  identity. This is against the secular ideals of the Indian Constitution and has led to increasing violence against Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits and other minorities.

Hindutva not the same as Hinduism

It must be noted that Hindutva is not the same as Hinduism, a term used to describe a wide range of religious practices and beliefs that are followed by millions of people, most of whom reside in India. Hinduism is an ancient religion whereas Hindutva, a deviant ideology, was introduced less than 100 years ago by a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) named V D Savarkar.

Hindutva is inspired by Nazism

Hindu nationalist groups in India like the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) were inspired not by Hindu teachings, but by Nazi Germany and Mussolini’s fascists in Italy.

India is known as the land of Gandhi but Hindutva groups glorify his assassin instead of the man who preached  non violence and tolerance. There are shrines established to worship Gandhi’s assassin.

Persecution of Religious Minorities

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has recommended that India be designated a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for its persecution of Religious Minorities for three years in succession.

https://www.uscirf.gov/annual-reports

India on the brink of genocide

Since December 2021 Hindu Religious Parliaments have called for a genocide of Muslims. Religious leaders announced a 10 million rupee award for recruiting Hindu suicide bombers. A proposal was made to follow the Burma model of genocide of the Rohingya; kill 2 million Muslims, and drive the rest out of India. No longer a fringe, now it’s a mainstream tirade against not just Muslims but all  Abrahimic traditions which are considered to be alien to India by the followers of Hindutva.

India is the only country in the world with two genocide watches on it, and is listed at the level of a Genocide Emergency by the respected organization Genocide Watch. It places India on Stage 8 of the 10 stages of genocide, but also refers to signs that Stage 10 has been reached. https://www.genocidewatch.com/copy-of-current-genocide-watch-aler

Hindutva Spreading Globally

The hateful Hindutva ideology is spreading globally, including in the United States at an alarming rate. Several Hindu nationalist organizations such as the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS), Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHP-A) aka World Hindu Council, Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP) are inspired by the same fascist Hindutva ideology which has pushed India to the brink of genocide.

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rise-in-religious-restrictions 

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genocide

* https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/hitlers-hindus-indias-nazi-loving-nationalists

on-the-rise-1.5628532 

* https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/04/world/asia/india-gandhi-nathuram

godse.html 

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wedding-conversion

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killing-2021-22-early-warning-project-statistical-risk-assessment-results

* https://www.genocidewatch.com/country-pages/india

* https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Indian_Caste_System.jpg