The United States Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), a federal government entity established by the US Congress to ‘monitor’ religious freedom abroad despite the multitude of abuses and injustices that exist in its own backyard, released a fresh report on 2nd October. Unsurprisingly, it also had a section titled, “Increasing abuses against minorities in India” written by senior policy analyst Sema Hasan in a desperate effort to further fuel the relentless propaganda industry ongoing in the Western power against the country.
It was an update to its 2024 annual report which designated India as a “Country of Particular Concern” or “CPC” or “engaging in systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom.”
🚨 USCIRF released a new report that highlights collapsing religious freedom conditions in #India. https://t.co/oOZ8xHrMKN
— USCIRF (@USCIRF) October 2, 2024
Notably, the authenticity and reliability of the piece can be determined by the fact that none of the commissioners are Indians or spent any significant amount of time there. Their lack of familiarity with the fundamentals of the country’s reality speaks volumes about the credibility of their work. Furthermore, a look into the backgrounds of those involved in the report strongly implies that they have a vested interest in discrediting India globally. Notably, the President and leadership of both the largest political parties (Republican and Democratic) in the Senate and House of Representatives select USCIRF Commissioners.
Commissioner Mohamed Elsanousi
Dr Mohamed Elsanousi was appointed to USCIRF by President Joseph R. Biden (Joe Biden) on 26th June, according to the commission’s official website. He is also the Executive Director of the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers. It is a global network that claims to bridge grassroots peacemakers and major stakeholders to strive towards lasting peace. Formerly, he was the Islamic Society of North America’s Director of Government Relations and Interfaith Relations. Moreover, he served as a member of the US Department of State’s Core Group Taskforce on Religion and Foreign Policy.
“Elsanousi was the Principal Coordinator for developing the standards and protocols for safeguarding the rights of Christian, Jewish, and other religious minorities in Muslim-majority communities,” the website informed providing additional insight into his career. It further added, “His efforts in this role led to the adoption of the Marrakech Declaration, the most recognized Islamic theological document advocating for improved religious freedom. He is the founding Executive Committee Member of Shoulder to Shoulder and co-chair of the Multi-Faith Advisory Council to the United Nations. Additionally, he serves on the boards of directors and trustees for numerous interfaith organizations, including the Center for Interreligious Dialogue at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City and the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies.”
The official website of the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers mentioned that Elsanousi graduated from the International Islamic University in Islamabad, Pakistan, with a bachelor’s degree in Sharia Law. He also has a master’s degree in law from Indiana University, a graduate diploma in philanthropic studies from the Indiana University Center on Philanthropy and a doctorate in law and society from the Indiana University School of Law.
Notably, Elsanousi has studied in Pakistan, India’s hostile neighbour which is infamous as a breeding ground for terrorists from all over the world. Nobody can deny the bloody history and the terrorism inflicted by the Islamic Republic on India. The religious indoctrination and hatred for infidels taught in the institutions there under the guise of imparting education is not a secret either. Interestingly, Elsanousi studied Sharia Law which is inherently draconian, highly oppressive and extremely discriminatory toward non-Muslims and even women, in Pakistan. Therefore, trusting the impartiality of someone with such a background and profound ties to the notorious country becomes rather challenging.
Commissioner Maureen Ferguson
The next name behind the erroneous report is that of Maureen Ferguson. She is a “Senior Fellow with The Catholic Association and co-host of the nationally syndicated radio show Conversations with Consequences,” informs USCIRF’s official website. She is the author of various articles published by the Catholic Association. She is a member of the University of Notre Dame’s de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture Advisory Committee.
The website also stated, “Ferguson is on the Advisory Board of The Belmont House, an initiative of Belmont Abbey College that seeks to restore civil society, cultivate religious freedom, and reclaim the public square for the common good.” She also serves on the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast Board of Directors. It is an annual lay prayer event and banquet that takes place in Washington, D.C. It was created in response to Pope John Paul II’s call for a new evangelization (seeking to convert people to Christianity).
Ferguson has ties to missionary organisations and such groups have a history of dehumanizing native cultures and religions under the guise of enlightening them with the name of Jesus Christ and converting from their traditional beliefs to Christianity. These outfits have a very sordid past in India and continue to operate in the country to coerce gullible people into embracing the foreign faith. It is, thus, not surprising that someone like Ferguson would be responsible for such a dubious report which also raises many concerns about her objectivity.
Commissioner Vicky Hartzler
Vicky Hartzler similar to Maureen Ferguson is a vital part of the Christian missionary groups and propaganda organisations that operate under the guise of minority rights, human rights and whatnot. “She has long been an advocate for those persecuted for their faith. Prior to her public service, she volunteered with the Voice of the Martyrs organization providing tangible help to Christians persecuted for their faith,” revealed USCIRF’s official website. She was a member of the US House of Representatives for twelve years, from 2011 to 2023, representing Missouri’s Fourth Congressional District.
The website added, “In Congress, she participated in the Defending Freedoms Project through the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission and the U.S. Commission on Religious Freedom ‘adopting’ three Chinese pastors imprisoned for their faith. As part of this work, she met with family members, spoke on the House floor advocating for them, and wrote a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging the State Department to work to release prisoners of conscience in China as part of their diplomatic efforts.”
Vicky Hartzler has also been awarded for her services to these Christian organisations. “During her 12 years of service in the U.S. Congress, Hartzler was awarded many honours including the U.S. Army Distinguished Public Service Medal, the 2021 Distinguished Christian Statesman Award by the Center for Christian Statesmanship, the Friend of the Family Award by the Faith & Freedom Coalition, the Coburn Statesman Award by the Family Policy Alliance, the Guardian of Life & Liberty Award by the Concerned Women for America, the True Blue Award from the Family Research Council, and The Outstanding Service to Agriculture Award by the Missouri Farm Bureau,” the website highlighted.
She chaired the House Values Action Team, which defended faith, family, and religious freedom and was also a commissioner of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC). The website stated, “In Congress, she was the sponsor of HR4821 ‘The Combatting the Persecution of Christians in China Act’ to impose sanctions on individuals responsible for the persecution of Christians in China.”
“She co-sponsored the ‘Ughur Stop Oppressive Sterilization (SOS) Act’ with fellow CECC member Representative Tom Suozzi (D-NY) to impose sanctions on the individuals responsible for the forced sterilizations and forced abortions in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China and she supported passage of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act in 2021 and the Uighur Intervention and Global Humanitarian Unified Response Act (UIGHUR Act) in 2020 which both passed and became law,” it further pointed out.
It’s interesting to note that Hartzler has been linked to organizations known for their anti-India propaganda, despite her career being built on her support of minorities in China, a country notorious for the persecution and oppression of its minorities. Notably, the association appeared to have achieved its objective since she also targeted India in the name of minority rights, which is the preferred propaganda tool of these Christian groups.
Commissioner Asif Mahmood
If the puppets of missionary organizations weren’t enough, a Pakistani man called Asif Mahmood also helped to malign India by contributing to the deceptive report. “Asif Mahmood is a practising physician, human rights activist, interracial and inter-faith community organizer, and philanthropist. He led the advocacy for many human rights campaigns focused on South Asia,” disclosed USCIRF’s official website.
It is pertinent to remember that the oppression of Muslims in ‘secular’ India, where the minority community is expanding far quicker than the majority, is the only way that human rights for persons with Pakistani origins are defined. The dwindling numbers and the grevious state of the minority community especially Hindus in their Islamic country is rarely a concern for them.
Mahmood served in numerous capacities during presidential elections and was a Delegate for the Democratic National Convention from 2008 until 2016. It further stated, “He is also currently the Chair of the Organization for Social Media Safety (OFSSMS) and Board Member of Hope the Mission, one of the largest homeless shelters in California.”
Commissioner Susie Gelman
Commissioner Susie Gelman is a board member of the Goldman Environmental Foundation, where she held the position of president in the past, based on USCIRF’s official website. The organisation presented the 2024 Goldman Environmental Prize to Ashok Shukla, Congress aide and convener of the notorious Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan (CBA) which tried to pressurise the government to halt mining in the Hasdeo Arand, a highly dense forest area of the state.
Notably, Medha Patkar, a critic of the Narmada Project and an advocate of Shukla’s cause, is a previous Goldman Award winner. The Sardar Sarovar Dam on the river was delayed by decades as a result of the “Narmada Bachao Andolan” she organised to protest against it.
“Susie Gelman, a graduate of Harvard University and Georgetown University Law Center, served as board chair of Israel Policy Forum from 2016-2023. She previously served for three terms as president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, one term as the Federation’s campaign co-chair, and is a lifetime member of the Federation’s Board of Directors,” the website mentioned.
She previously served as co-chair of the Jewish Federations of North America’s (JFNA) Israel Religious Expressions Platform (iRep), a program that promoted pluralism in Israel through the freedom of choice in marriage. Susie served as the Birthright Israel Foundation’s first chair and on the Taglit-Birthright Israel Planning Committee in addition to being a board member for many years.
It further added, “She served as co-chair of UJC (now JFNA) Israel and co-chaired JFNA’s General Assembly in Jerusalem in both 2003 and 2013. Susie is a member of the Board of Governors of The Hebrew University, an honorary fellow of Brandeis University, and is past president of the Georgetown Day School Board of Trustees, where she served on the board for 12 years.”
It’s pertinent to note that another person involved in the piece has ties to an alleged environmental group that interferes in India’s affairs by endorsing dubious environmental activists.
Commissioner Meir Soloveichik
According to USCIRF’s official website, “Meir Y. Soloveichik is Rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel- the oldest Jewish congregation in the United States, the Director of the Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought at Yeshiva University, and a Senior Scholar at the Tikvah Fund. He graduated summa cum laude from Yeshiva University and received his PhD in religion from Princeton University.”
He has authored many books including the recent Providence and Power: Ten Portraits in Jewish Statesmanship. “Much of his writing and academic work focuses on the American Founding and the unique story and role of religion in the United States. His podcasts include Bible365, a daily study of the Hebrew Bible that completes all of Jewish scripture in a year, and Jerusalem365, which tells the 4,000-year history of Jerusalem. In 2018 Rabbi Soloveichik was awarded the Canterbury Medal for his work on behalf of religious liberty by the Becket Fund,” the website further added.
Conclusion
The most glaring feature of the report is that it is commissioned by people whose long career contains no reference to India, a clear indication that they are not from the country, have no connections to it and are ignorant of its complex realities other than releasing misleading reports about it. More importantly, the majority of them have close connections to Pakistan and affiliations with nefarious groups. When such persons finalize a report, one can only imagine how far removed it is from the truth and how heavily biased it is.
