USCIRF's Disregard for Truth

Honorable Speaker Dennis Hastert                                                                      May 8, 2006

Thank you for doing a great service to our nation, by representing us ably. With confronting radical Islam taking the center stage, religious issues abroad have become prominent in shaping our security, economy and foreign policy. This is where United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) comes into picture.

I am writing with great concern about what appears to be an utter disregard for truth, radical Islam-friendly outlook and lack of competence at USCIRF. As a leader of the legislative body with oversight over USCIRF, I am bringing this to your attention. Clearly, my futile interaction with USCIRF has reached a dead end.

The 2006 USCIRF report on India appears to have significant data that are either plain erroneous or arguments that are one-sided and biased. Also, USCIRF officials have ignored the critical data I had given them pointing out an entirely different outlook of religious freedom related violence in India.

• The 2006 USCIRF reports notes in page 209, second to last paragraph, on India: “…in the end, as many as 2,000 Muslims were killed”. This figure had been quoted by several Muslim groups with extremist leanings. USCIRF has not even bothered to note the fact that Indian government gave a figure in May 2005 of 790 Muslims and 254 Hindus killed in post Godhra riots in Gujarat (http://us.rediff.com/news/2005/may/11guj.htm). This USCIRF report also fails to note—the train fire that killed 58 Hindus in Godhra (preceding and provoking post Godhra riots) was likely caused by a Muslim mob and unlikely to be spontaneous.

• In page 211, the report observes: “In March, the head of a Christian organization that runs a number of educational and charitable institutions was arrested on charges of “hurting religious sentiments” and “insulting the religious beliefs of a community” because of a book that was on sale in one of his establishments.” This is a grossly one-sided view of the situation. This report conveniently neglects to mention the reason for the arrest—the head and his associates had been booked for violating Sections 153(a) and 295(a) of the Indian Penal Code, "which deal with deliberately outraging religious feelings or insulting the religious beliefs of another community." In reality, this Christian organization had been engaged in an unadulterated hatred and abuse of Hindu scriptures, faith, ritual and tradition. It denigrates tenets of Hinduism and pours undiluted scorn on Hindu icons and spiritual leaders. It casts aspersions on the chastity of Hindu women and questions received wisdom (http://www.southasianmedia.net/index_opinion.cfm?category=Religion&country=INDIA). In other words, this Christian organization deliberately provoked the people of majority faith and created a communally volatile situation. This gets no mention in USCIRF report.

• I met with top USCIRF officials, Mr. Ted Stahnke and Ms. Patricia Carley on December 19^th 2005 in Washington and gave them data on the origin of religious conflicts in India. This included the data that over 95% of riots in India involving Muslims and majority Hindus were initiated by Muslims. On March 25^th I sent Ms. Carley a reference of this data (http://intellibriefs.com/sec_combat_FEB_06.pdf, page 22). USCIRF report has shown that it has willfully ignored the reality that Muslim minority in India is violence-prone and Hindu majority is at the receiving end of this violence—most of the time.

• I had also brought verifiable data to the attention of USCIRF that points to Christian institutions in India practicing religious apartheid on majority that are in violation of Article 23 and Article 26 of Universal Declaration of Human rights (http://www.indiacause.com/columns/OL_051026.htm).

When the data and events point to majority in India at the receiving hands of religious minorities, it seems USCIRF is selectively processing information to portray the events in a way it likes. In other words, USCIRF has ceased to be an objective and impartial entity. The 2006 report (along with previous ones) may also open up the interpretation of USCIRF favorably disposed toward Christianity (the majority religion in America) and trying to undermine non-Christian faiths abroad--regardless of the truth. Such an outlook by a tax-payer funded government institution would be in violation of the Constitutional separation of church and state.

USCIRF’s apparent disregard for truth is going to put our Ambassador in New Delhi in an unenviable position—and reflects poorly on America. There should be little doubt—USCIRF is siding with radical Islam in India and undermining a vulnerable Hindu majority, which has shown a liking for America in a recent poll. Is this what we want?

I suspect, the lack of competence manifested at USCIRF is mainly due to inadequate manpower (the Commission, limited to a staff of twenty, has to cover over one hundred countries).

With USCIRF report discredited, it is hard to see how our executive and legislative branches could take its policy “recommendations” seriously. I sincerely hope that you would conduct a hearing to address the needs of USCIRF, giving it adequate staff and help reorganize it so that it can do a competent—not a disgraceful--job. An able USCIRF can be an integral component of our war-on-terror strategy. Let me know if I can be of help.

Sincerely

Moorthy Muthuswamy PhD