For Immediate Release
 
9 February 2009 

CSW AND AICC WELCOME UN REPORT RECOGNISING THREATS OF “RELIGIOUS HATRED” AND “MOB VIOLENCE” IN INDIA

 Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) and the All India Christian Council (aicc) are welcoming the newly-released report of the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Ms Asma Jahangir, on her mission to India in 2008.
 
The report notes “the religious diversity of India and the positive impact of secularism” but warns that a “system of impunity emboldens forces of intolerance” and that extremist groups advocating religious hatred “have unleashed an all-pervasive fear of mob violence”.

Ms Jahangir visited India from 3-20 March 2008. She held numerous meetings with civil society, including one in Orissa state after the anti-Christian violence of December 2007, which was organised by CSW partner, the aicc.
 
The Special Rapporteur’s report further articulates concern over state-level anti-conversion laws “used to vilify Christians and Muslims”, and recommends that they be “reconsidered since they raise serious human rights concerns”. It also calls for an end to religious discrimination in the eligibility of Dalits for the affirmative action system of reservations in public sector education and employment. Its other areas of concern include the socio-economic status of Muslims, shortcomings in the recognition of the Sikh, Jain and Buddhist religions, religious freedom in Jammu and Kashmir, and religion-based personal laws.
 
Dr Joseph D’souza, aicc President, said: “The Special Rapporteur painted a balanced and authentic picture of the state of religious freedom in India, and she accurately represented many of the concerns of Indian civil society. The increasing violence against religious minorities by religious fundamentalists urgently warrants this level of attention. We appreciate her incisive analysis of the key issues of concern, especially the damage of anti-conversion laws on a rich tradition of religious tolerance, and the unequal treatment of Dalits from different faiths.  We call upon the government of India to take this report and its recommendations seriously.”
 
Alexa Papadouris, CSW Advocacy Director, said: “We welcome the Special Rapporteur’s detailed engagement with many of the most critical issues affecting religious freedom in India. The widespread impunity which has followed several large-scale outbreaks of violence against religious minorities, most recently against Christians in Orissa but previously against Muslims and Sikhs, has been a particularly visible challenge to religious freedom.
 
“This report echoes the calls from within India for these and other concerns to be addressed properly and comprehensively. Together with the Special Rapporteur, we recognise the immense challenges of governing as large and diverse a nation as India.  However, we urge the government to engage fully with all the recommendations in this report, as a demonstration of their commitment to India being a land of freedom and opportunity for all her diverse citizens, regardless of their religious identity.”
 
For further information or to arrange interviews with CSW or the aicc, contact Theresa Malinowska, Press Officer at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on 020 8329 0045, email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit http://www.csw.org.uk/.
 
CSW is a human rights organisation which specialises in religious freedom, works on behalf of those persecuted for their Christian beliefs and promotes religious liberty for all.
 
The aicc (www.christiancouncil.in), birthed in 1998, exists to protect and serve the Christian community, minorities, and the oppressed castes. The aicc is a coalition of thousands of Indian denominations, organizations, and lay leaders.
 
NOTES TO EDITORS
 
1. The report of the Special Rapporteur is accessible via the UN website. It is scheduled to be presented at the tenth session of the UN Human Rights Council in March 2009.

2. Following the Special Rapporteur’s visit, Orissa saw the worst outbreak of communal violence against Christians in the history of post-Independence India, which included forcible conversions to Hinduism. The violence was sparked by the assassination by unknown assailants of Swami Lakhmananda Saraswati, local figurehead of the extremist Hindu nationalist group, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), on 23 August 2008, and resulted in the deaths of at least 70, with more than 50 still unaccounted for. At least 50,000 were forced to flee their homes, amidst widespread destruction of property and churches.

3. The last visit to India by a UN Special Rapporteur on religious intolerance was in December 1996.

ENDS