October 2019
Rep. Ro Khanna’s tweet rejecting Hindutva splits the Indian American community
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali: US Congressman Ro Khanna’s tweet rejecting Hindutva echoed at the Cupertino Town Hall meeting called by the congressman earlier this month. On August 29, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) tweeted: "It’s the duty of every American politician of Hindu faith to stand for pluralism, reject Hindutva, and speak for equal rights for Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhist & Christians. That is the vision of India my grandfather Amarnath Vidyalankar fought for." Congressman Ro Khanna was responding to an article by Pieter Friedrich of the Organization for Minorities of India (OMI), an organization aimed at advancing individual liberties of Christians, Buddhists, Dalits, Muslims, Sikhs, and all Mulnivasi people of South Asia by encouraging secularism, progressive human rights, liberation of oppressed peoples, and universal human dignity. Read More
Moscow once again appears on the African continent with the first Russia-Africa summit
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali: The first ever two-day Russia-Africa economic summit ended Thursday in the resort city Sochi, Russia resulting over 500 commercial agreements worth $12 billion. About four dozen African leaders and high-level government officials attended the summit and economic forum, from Nigerian President Muhammad Buhari to African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat. Over 40 African nations were represented by heads of state or government at the summit, while 11 others sent their vice presidents, foreign ministers or ambassadors. The two-day event was the first of its kind hosted by Russia, which is seeking a new engagement on the African continent in competition with China, the United States, and even countries like India and Turkey, which have increased their diplomatic efforts in recent years. Read More
The peculiar case of Japan vis-à-vis the Rohingya tragedy
By Dr. Habib Siddiqui: Recently Myanmar’s de facto leader Suu Kyi met the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo. "With regard to the alleged human rights violations in Rakhine State, it is indispensable that the Myanmar government and military take appropriate measures promptly," Abe was quoted by the Japanese Foreign Ministry as telling Suu Kyi in their meeting. There is nothing ‘alleged’ any more about Myanmar’s genocidal crimes and intent against the Rohingya people. But mindful of Myanmar’s ugly face-saving position trying to evade any responsibility for its horrendous crimes and its willful abhorrence for the ‘R’ (Rohingya) term, Abe was understandably diplomatic in his choice of words when hosting Suu Kyi. But how long can his government continue to please an evil, murderous, genocidal, criminal regime that feels neither remorse for its scorched-earth genocidal campaign nor is willing to change its course? Read More
Hindutva loses in the US congressﾠ
By Dr. Mike Ghouse: The testimony of two witnesses who happened to be Hindu, and one of them was a Kashmiri pundit was damaging to Modi government’s effort to sow discord between Hindus and Muslims. Thanks to Ms. Kaul and Ms. Chatterjee. Hindutva is not Hinduism; it is an aggressive movement patterned after Nazi ideals and claims that Hindu race/ belief is superior to others. The problem is not the belief, as the preachers of all religions ridiculously claim superiority of their faith. The problem is Hindutva teaches people to acquire political power and subjugate all others. Indeed, it calls for continued oppression of Dalits, and elimination of the inferior people like Christians and Muslims from India by 12/31/2021. Modi‘s party and its leaders subscribe to this ideology, and obviously have not condemned these statements. Read More
Ban RSS says Akal Takht
By Syed Rifaquat Ali: The chief priest of Akal Takht, Giani Harpreet Singh, told reporters in Amritsar last week that " the RSS should be banned. The remarks by RSS leaders are not in the interest of the nation. It would hurt and draw a new line of division in the country and destroy it." The president of Srimani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee, Gobind Singh Longowal, too lambasted the Bhartiya Janta Party, which follows the RSS diktat, when he said to mediamen "the constitution gave all its citizens religious freedom. Read More
Modi, Xi talks end without a joint statement
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali: Two days talks between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping ended Saturday without a joint statement. The talks were held in the southern Indian town of Mamallapuram. Indian media reported that both countries will issue statements on Modi-Xi talks separately. The AFP said the two leaders met for the second time in 18 months in a bid to ease tensions over border disputes, the troubled Kashmir region and China's domination of trade between their economies. India has moved closer to the United States and its allies in seeking a counter-weight to China's growing military shadow in the Asia-Pacific region, the AFP added. The Modi-Xi meeting is aimed at mending ties strained by India's decision to split Jammu & Kashmir state into two. China, which claims part of the area's Ladakh region, is also a close ally of India's rival, Pakistan, according to German News Agency Deutsche Welle. Read More
Uighurs - the victims of Hanification
By Dr. Habib Siddiqui: Determined to end the push and pull of centuries, Mao’s successors resorted to Hanification of Xinjiang, which is primarily carried out in two folds: settlements and language or culture. They have had changed the demography of the region by settling the Han Chinese from other parts of the PRC and conducted forced abortion on Uighur women. Arienne M. Dwyer notes in an article - The Xinjiang Conflict: Uyghur Identity, Language Policy, and Political Discourse - the Han population “increased from nearly 300,000 in 1953 to nearly 6 million in 1990, in addition to more than one-half million demobilized soldiers in the Production and Construction Corps.” This increase in Xinjiang was made possible “as a result of state-sponsored population transfers from other parts of China.” Read More
Plight of 200 million Dalits in India
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali: Around 500 Dalits from various parts of Gujarat embraced Buddhism on Tuesday (October 8) in three separate programmes held in Ahmedabad, Mehsana and Idar of Sabarkantha district on the occasion of Vijayadashami. The day of Vijayadashami holds a special significance in Buddhism in India. It was on a Vijayadashami day on October 14, 1956 that Dr B R Ambedkar famously embraced Buddhism along with lakhs of his supporters in Maharashtra. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar once said: Dalithood is a kind of life condition which characterizes exploitation, suppression and marginalization of Dalits by the social, economic, cultural and political domination of the upper castes’ ‘Brahminical ideology.” Read More
Ethnic cleansing of Muslims in India
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hinduvta government will reintroduce the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 in the coming session of Parliament, to provide Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Christians and Parsis from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, after their stay in India for seven years, instead of 12 years at present. Read More
Modi: Prime Minister or a Braggart?
By Syed Rifaquat Ali: Narendra Modi is not at all bothered about the plight of millions and millions of youth in India. Instead, he is just carrying out the RSS agenda which is to make India a Hindu Rashtra (country) and wipe out the Muslim culture. Read More
New US study warns: India-Pakistan Nuclear war can kill over 125 million people
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali: Amid rising tension over Kashmir between the two nuclear neighbors, India and Pakistan, a new US study examines how such an hypothetical future nuclear conflict would have consequences that could ripple across the globe. A nuclear war between India and Pakistan could, over the span of less than a week, kill 50 to 125 million people that is more than the death toll during the six years of World War II, according to the research by Colorado University Boulder and Rutgers University. Read More
Standoff with India may spark NUCLEAR ARMAGEDDON, Pakistani Kashmir chief says
RT: If a war breaks out between India and Pakistan, it will be quick, dirty and deadly. It will be an Armageddon, hundreds of millions will die in South Asia, and 2.5 billion people will be affected by radiation all over the world. Read More
Ambitious Turkish plan to resettle two million displaced Syrians
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali: Turkey has an ambitious plan to settle two million displaced Syrians in a 30 kilometer wide safe zone in northern Syria. Turkish President Recep Tayyi Erdogan unveiled the plan at the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly last month. Read More
Indian government admits arresting 144 minors in volatile Kashmir
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali: Indian government admitted Tuesday (Oct. 1) in the Supreme Court that 144 minors, including children as young as 9 and 11 years old, have been detained in the Indian-administered Kashmir since August 5, when the disputed territory was annexed. However, the government claimed that the arrest of minors was not illegal. Read More
14 US Congress members urge Indian Prime Minister to lift siege of Kashmir
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali: 14 US Congressmen/Congresswomen have urged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address concerns over the human rights situation in Kashmir and lift the communications blackout. Normal life remained affected in Kashmir as main markets and other business establishments continued to remain closed for the 57th consecutive day on Monday, according to the Press Trust of India. Read More
Narendra Modi in a quandary!
By Syed Rifaquat Ali: The total shutdown in Kashmir has placed the Maverick Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, in a quandary. He is caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. The abrogation of Article 370 and 35a in Jammu and Kashmir on August 5 could well be Modi's Swansong. Read More
The Journal of America Team:
Editor in chief:
Abdus Sattar Ghazali
Senior Editor:
Prof. Arthur Scott
Special Correspondent
Maryam Turab
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