[Reader-list] does Modi's non-entry into US mean anything?

Fri Jul 11 16:41:19 IST 2008

Sadia,
      what one should do in civilised democratic society as citizen of the society. ?

     As a citizen I can vote for him or vote for another candidate. What do you mean by doing some thing, you are encouraging citizens to take law into their hands be barbaric to dispense what you seem and deem it as right. ? Then what is the difference between you and Dawood Ibrahim or Al queada chief. ?

   Freedom means as you are free you have social responsibilty as well beyond religion and faith as human, it is better you remember that overwhelming citizens have voted for the party and its leader to rule the state and govern for the assigned term of five years. In democratic way, you can vote him out, do not nurse any other ideas as you are cause for action and then reaction which can be very traumatic for all citizens as violence only begets more of it, in the process of blasts, the blasts do not recognise the victims religion and faith to strike miseries.

  It is my sincere request to stop this nonsense of action and reactions and if possible generate awareness if any bad acts done personally by Modi with evidence, educate the voter about good governance in democratic system, thus expect to be catalyst for change.?

 Regards.

----- Original Message -----
From: "S.Fatima" <sadiafwahidi at yahoo.co.in>
Date: Thursday, July 10, 2008 8:55 am
Subject: Re: [Reader-list] does Modi's non-entry into US mean anything?
To: Rashmi Sawhney <rashmi.sawhney at gmail.com>
Cc: reader-list at sarai.net

> Dear Rashmi
> Its fine if you wish to rest the case here. But I still think you 
> have been only reacting to my most casual and minor points (such 
> as 'smoking out' or the word Gujarati etc.) My main/original point 
> still remains unanswered: Isn't it hypocritical that we do nothing 
> about Modi in India, and have a problem if he travels to the US? 
> And what difference will it make if he can't go to the US?
> Does anyone else have an answer to that?
> 
> F
> 
> 
> --- On Wed, 9/7/08, Rashmi Sawhney <rashmi.sawhney at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> > From: Rashmi Sawhney <rashmi.sawhney at gmail.com>
> > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] does Modi's non-entry into US mean 
> anything?> To: sadiafwahidi at yahoo.co.in
> > Cc: reader-list at sarai.net
> > Date: Wednesday, 9 July, 2008, 10:36 PM
> > Dera Fatima,
> > 
> > Two brief points:
> > 
> > 1. There is a measure of desperation in suggesting that the
> > US should take
> > responsibility for 'smoking out' Modi as
> > they've been doing with individuals
> > and nations they see as being problematic around the world.
> > Although,
> > privately, if they manage to isolate him and do this, I
> > will join in your
> > celebrations.
> > 2. I have a fundamental issue with your point about whether
> > Modi's non/entry
> > is going to affect the business and trade of the people of
> > Gujarat/ of
> > Gujarati origin.
> > The view: Gujarati = Hindu = pro-Modi/pro-Hindutva is
> > problematic and
> > furthers the very image and idea of Gujarat that the BJP
> > have been
> > projecting under Modi's leadership. There are many
> > Gujaratis who are
> > Muslims, Jains, Parsis and Christians, so the alignment of
> > a linguistic
> > community with a religious group is problematic.
> > 
> > I will rest my case here,
> > 
> > Rashmi
> > 
> > On Wed, Jul 9, 2008 at 5:40 PM, S.Fatima
> > <sadiafwahidi at yahoo.co.in> wrote:
> > 
> > > Dear Rashmi
> > > I know my analogy was stupid, but I was mostly
> > reacting to the report which
> > > I quoted about the US State department revoking his
> > visa earlier under the
> > > Immigration and Nationality Act, "which prohibits
> > foreign officials who are
> > > responsible for or directly carried out, at any time,
> > particularly severe
> > > violations of religious freedom from obtaining U.S.
> > visas". Now, why doesn't
> > > such a law apply in India, why can't we punish him
> > under similar accusations
> > > here. I am sure the US govt is acting in this manner
> > only on the basis of
> > > the information provided to it by the Indian state.
> > >
> > > This is what I can't fathom: we in India continue
> > to accept Modi, vote him
> > > to power, allow him to do all that business of shining
> > Gujarat, but we have
> > > a problem if he goes to the US (as you say even the
> > people outside the US
> > > will be agitated if he enters US). So, why aren't
> > we doing something about
> > > him while he shines in Gujarat. Why doesn't the US
> > bomb Gujarat to 'smoke
> > > him' out, the way it does to the others it
> > doesn't like.
> > >
> > > I have my doubts if his non-entry is going to affect
> > the business and trade
> > > of the Gujaratis. On the other hand, the rallying for
> > his non-entry by the
> > > so-called peace activists only leads to further divide
> > between the NRI
> > > saffronites and the secularists. The saffronites will
> > get further motivated
> > > to work against the cause of peace. More hate-dollars
> > will pump into India.
> > >
> > > SF
> > >
> > >
> > > --- On Wed, 9/7/08, Rashmi Sawhney
> > <rashmi.sawhney at gmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > > From: Rashmi Sawhney
> > <rashmi.sawhney at gmail.com>
> > > > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] does Modi's
> > non-entry into US mean anything?
> > > > To: sadiafwahidi at yahoo.co.in
> > > > Cc: reader-list at sarai.net
> > > > Date: Wednesday, 9 July, 2008, 8:54 PM
> > >  > Dear Fatima,
> > > >
> > > > Your analogy, I must agree with you, may probably
> > be wrong,
> > > > but is certainly
> > > > naive and unproductive. A second denial of entry
> > into the
> > > > US may be seen
> > > > from within Modi camps as being detrimental to
> > his efforts
> > > > of furthering the
> > > > lie about a vibrant Gujarat. There are enough
> > numbers of
> > > > religious
> > > > fundamentalists in the Western world who support
> > Modi's
> > > > Hindutva ideology,
> > > > who may probably not take to the visa refusal
> > kindly. Had
> > > > the US granted
> > > > Modi entry so many anti Modi individuals and
> > organisations
> > > > around the world,
> > > > including in India, would be agitaged about this
> > too.
> > > >
> > > > It is not a question of whether the activists in
> > the US and
> > > > NRIs want
> > > > to demonstrate that their sympathy for
> > Gujarat's
> > > > Muslims is more than
> > > > activists in India - I think that is a reductive
> > approach
> > > > that defeats the
> > > > purpose of a collective anti-Modi struggle. If
> > you want to
> > > > campaign against
> > > > the USA's discriminatory and hypocritic
> > policies, there
> > > > are many other
> > > > widely available issues that you could pick on -
> > issues
> > > > that affect common
> > > > people without any clout or power.
> > > >
> > > > Most countries have their own 'germ-infested
> > foods'
> > > > that are rapidly
> > > > destroying any social fabrics composed of
> > difference -
> > > > perhaps one could
> > > > consider the option of deputing germs-infested
> > foods from
> > > > different
> > > > societies to other parts of the world to see if
> > they
> > > > survive under hostile
> > > > and foreign conditions. Or, if your approach to
> > solving the
> > > > problem of
> > > > Gujarat is to 'export' the germ-infested
> > food,
> > > > please consider throwing it
> > > > in the sea.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > On Wed, Jul 9, 2008 at 3:30 PM, S.Fatima
> > > > <sadiafwahidi at yahoo.co.in> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > Please see the report/appeal below, about
> > another
> > > > effort to stop the
> > > > > Gujarat CM Narendra Modi from entering the
> > US. While
> > > > withholding all my
> > > > > angst against what he allowed to happen in
> > Gujarat in
> > > > 2002 and the fact that
> > > > > he shamelessly continues to be blind to the
> > growing
> > > > hatred against Muslims,
> > > > > I wonder if the efforts by our activist
> > friends in the
> > > > US to stop him from
> > > > > entering that soil mean anything other than
> > a
> > > > hypocracy. After all, he
> > > > > continues to live and do what he pleases in
> > > > India/Gujarat, but we won't
> > > > > allow him in the US... Isn't that
> > ridiculous?
> > > > >
> > > > > Are they trying to teach him a lesson, or
> > punish him
> > > > through this gesture?
> > > > > Is his non-entry into the US going to badly
> > affect the
> > > > Gujaratis' business
> > > > > and trade (which he is supposed to solemnize
> > in New
> > > > Jersey)? Not the least,
> > > > > I think. So what is it then? Is it a
> > symbolic
> > > > rejection of his leadership?
> > > > > Or do the NRI and American activist want to
> > show that
> > > > they care about
> > > > > Gujarat's Muslims more than the
> > activists in
> > > > India?
> > > > >
> > > > > Although this analogy maybe completely
> > wrong, but I
> > > > can't help think this:
> > > > > "We won't allow a germ-infested
> > food that is
> > > > killing thousands in India to
> > > > > enter the US"....
> > > > > Other thoughts are welcome.
> > > > >
> > > > > ==========
> > > > >
> > > > > USCIRF Urges Denial of U.S. Visa to Gujarat
> > Chief
> > > > Minister Narendra Modi
> > > > > FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
> > > > > July 8, 2008
> > > > >
> > > > > Contact:  Judith Ingram
> > > > > Communications Director
> > > > > (202) 523-3240, ext. 127
> > > > >
> > > > > WASHINGTON - The United States Commission on
> > > > International Religious
> > > > > Freedom urges the U.S. State Department to
> > reaffirm
> > > > its past decision to
> > > > > deny a tourist visa to Gujarat Chief
> > Minister Narendra
> > > > Modi, who has been
> > > > > invited to attend a conference in New Jersey
> > this
> > > > August celebrating
> > > > > Gujarati culture.  Modi was previously
> > denied entrance
> > > > to the United States
> > > > > due to his role in riots that overtook the
> > Indian
> > > > state of Gujarat from
> > > > > February to May 2002 in which reportedly as
> > many as
> > > > 2,000 Muslims were
> > > > > killed, thousands raped, and over 200,000
> > displaced.
> > > > Numerous reports,
> > > > > including reports of official bodies of the
> > Government
> > > > of India, have
> > > > > documented the role of Modi's state
> > government in
> > > > the planning and execution
> > > > > of the violence, and the failure to hold
> > perpetrators
> > > > accountable.
> > > > >
> > > > > Following Modi's invitation to attend
> > conferences
> > > > in the U.S. in 2005, the
> > > > > Commission successfully urged the State
> > Department to
> > > > revoke Modi's U.S.
> > > > > tourist visa.  Despite pressure from the
> > Indian
> > > > government, the State
> > > > > Department revoked his visa under the
> > Immigration and
> > > > Nationality Act (INA),
> > > > > which prohibits foreign government officials
> > who are
> > > > "responsible for or
> > > > > directly carried out, at any time,
> > particularly severe
> > > > violations of
> > > > > religious freedom" from obtaining U.S.
> > visas.
> > > > This section was added to the
> > > > > INA by the International Religious Freedom
> > Act of
> > > > 1998. The Commission once
> > > > > again urges the State Department to announce
> > > > Modi's ineligibility for a visa
> > > > > under the terms of the INA.
> > > > >
> > > > > "We have not seen changes that would
> > warrant a
> > > > policy reversal," said
> > > > > Commission Chair Felice D. Gaer. "As
> > official
> > > > bodies of the government of
> > > > > India have found, Narendra Modi is culpable
> > for the
> > > > egregious and systematic
> > > > > human rights abuses wrought against
> > thousands of
> > > > India's Muslims. Mr. Modi
> > > > > must demonstrate to the State Department and
> > to the
> > > > American people why
> > > > > he-as a person found to have aided and
> > abetted gross
> > > > violations of human
> > > > > rights, including religious freedom-should
> > now be
> > > > eligible for a tourist
> > > > > visa.
> > > > >
> > > > > Following the riots in 2002, India's
> > National
> > > > Human Rights Commission
> > > > > issued a report that pointed to the role of
> > Modi's
> > > > government in the
> > > > > systematic murder of Muslims and the
> > calculated
> > > > destruction of Muslim homes
> > > > > and businesses. In 2003, the Indian central
> > government
> > > > found corruption and
> > > > > anti-Muslim bias to be so pervasive in the
> > Gujarat
> > > > judiciary that riot cases
> > > > > were shifted for trial to the neighboring
> > state of
> > > > Maharashtra.  Despite
> > > > > this action, the lack of justice for victims
> > remains a
> > > > serious concern, as
> > > > > there have been very few court convictions
> > in the six
> > > > years since the
> > > > > religion-based riots. In 2007, a series of
> > articles in
> > > > the Indian
> > > > > publication Tehelka documented police
> > officers and
> > > > government officials on
> > > > > audio and videotape confessing that they
> > facilitated
> > > > the violence, at times
> > > > > at the direct behest of Modi.
> > > > >
> > > > > "The inaction of Gujarat's
> > government and
> > > > police force in the face of
> > > > > severe violence against religious minorities
> > is an
> > > > inexcusable abuse of
> > > > > international human rights
> > obligations," Gaer
> > > > said.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >      Unlimited freedom, unlimited storage.
> > Get it now,
> > > > on
> > > > >
> > > >
> > http://help.yahoo.com/l/in/yahoo/mail/yahoomail/tools/tools-08.html/
> > > > >
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