DOCSLIB.ORG

2017 HAF Hindu Human Rights Report, Full Version

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
2017 HAF Hindu Human Rights Report, Full Version "All men are brothers; no one is big, no one is small. All are equal." Rig Veda, 5:60:5 HINDU AMERICAN FOUNDATION Board of Directors Fred Stella Rishi Bhutada, M.B.A. Swaminathan Venkataraman Pawan Deshpande SriVani Yerramilli Padma Kuppa Mihir Meghani, M.D. Rajiv Pandit, M.D. The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) is a 501(c)(3) Aseem R. Shukla, M.D. advocacy organization for the Hindu American community. The Foundation educates the public Executive Director and Legal Counsel about Hinduism, speaks out about issues affecting Suhag A. Shukla, Esq. (Editor) Hindus worldwide, and builds bridges with institu- tions and individuals whose work aligns with HAF’s Senior Director and Human Rights Fellow objectives. HAF focuses on human and civil rights, Samir Kalra, Esq. (Author) public policy, media, academia, and interfaith re- lations. Through its advocacy efforts, HAF seeks to Senior Director cultivate leaders and empower future generations Sheetal D. Shah (Editor) of Hindu Americans. Director of Communications The Hindu American Foundation is not affiliated Mat McDermott (Editor) with any religious or political organizations or enti- ties. HAF seeks to serve Hindu Americans across all Director of Education and Curriculum Reform sampradayas (Hindu religious traditions) regardless Murali Balaji, Ph.D. of race, color, national origin, citizenship, caste, gender, sexual orientation, age, and/or disability. Director of Government Relations Jay Kansara Director of Philanthropic Partnerships CONTACT HAF Seetha Aiyar, M.B.A Hindu American Foundation 910 17th St NW, Suite 316A Associate Director of Membership Washington, DC 20006 Krishna Parmar USA Associate Director of Programs WEB: www.HAFsite.org Aesha Mehta SOCIAL MEDIA: @HinduAmerican EMAIL: [email protected] Associate Director, West Coast PHONE: +1 202 223 9222 Padmavathy Mana FAX: +1 202 223 8004 Office Administrator Deidra Prather National Leadership Council Nikhil Joshi, Esq. Raman Khanna, M.D. Nicholas O’Connell Kavita Pallod “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948, Article 1 INDEX Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................. 6 Executive Summary ................................................................................................................ 7 HAF Fact Finding, Humanitarian, and Advocacy Projects ....................................... 23 Full Report ................................................................................................................................25 EGREGIOUS VIOLATORS Islamic Republic of Afghanistan .........................................................................................25 Peoples Republic of Bangladesh .......................................................................................31 Malaysia ...................................................................................................................................44 Islamic Republic of Pakistan ...............................................................................................50 COUNTRIES OF SERIOUS CONCERN Kingdom of Bhutan ...............................................................................................................64 Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir .................................................................................71 Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka .....................................................................80 MONITORED COUNTRIES Republic of the Fiji Islands ...................................................................................................87 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia .....................................................................................................91 Republic of Trinidad and Tobago ...................................................................................... 95 HINDUS ACROSS THE DIASPORA • Hindus, numbering over one billion (1.03 billion), constitute the third largest religious group in the world. • Hinduism is one of the oldest surviving religions with its origins tracing back at least five thousand years. • Hindus are pluralistic in their beliefs and accept the myriad means of worship and prayer available to human beings seeking spiritual enlightenment. • Hindu minorities living in countries throughout South Asia and other parts of the world are subject to varying degrees of legal and institutional discrimination, restrictions on their religious freedom, social prejudice, violence, social persecution, and economic and political marginalization. Hindu women are especially vulnerable and face kidnappings and forced conversions in countries such as Bangladesh and Pakistan. In several countries where Hindus are minorities, non-state actors advance a discriminatory and exclusivist agenda, often with the tacit or explicit support of the state. • Persecution by state and non-state actors alike has led a growing number of Hindus to flee their country of origin and live as refugees. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS As in the past, numerous grassroots organizations were involved in collecting data about the violation of human rights of Hindu minorities, and HAF thanks them for their fact-finding and data collection efforts. Chief among these organizations are Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD), a human rights organization based in the Hague; Bangladesh Minority Watch (BDMW) and Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council USA (BHBCUC-USA), organizations that have been at the forefront of publicizing the plight of Hindus in Bangladesh; the Indo-American Kashmir Forum and the Kashmir Taskforce, which have worked to bring the attention of the United States government and media to the plight of Kashmiri Hindus; Panun Kashmir, advocating tirelessly to resettle Kashmiri Pandits and recover their lost properties and homes in the Kashmir Valley; Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF), also known as Human Rights Party (HRP) Malay- sia and Malaysian Hindu Foundation (MHF), working for the human rights of Hindu minorities in Malaysia; Hare Rama Foundation (HRF) and Scheduled Caste Rights Movement (SCRM) Pakistan, which works on behalf of marginalized Hindus in Sindh province and southern Punjab in Pakistan; Pakistan Hindu Sewa Welfare Trust; and Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC), a national advocacy group for Hindus in Pakistan. HAF further thanks Bhutanese American community leaders and organizations, and Dr. DNS Dhakal, Duke University Fellow for information on the situation facing Bhutanese Hindus in the US and those remaining in Bhutan HAF acknowledges the work of other human rights organizations, including Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), an independent voice in the struggle for human rights and democratic development in Pakistan; and the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC),which keeps track of human rights abuses in Asia. Similarly, the International Crisis Group, Amnesty International, Freedom House, and Human Rights Watch have played a critical role in widely publicizing the denial of human rights around the world. Also, important historical information and contemporary updates were obtained from the US Department of State’s annual reports on religious freedom and human rights, as well from a number of think tanks, foreign policy analyst, and historians. Samir Kalra, Esq. HAF Senior Director/Human Rights Fellow 6 Hindus in South Asia and the Diaspora: A Survey of Human Rights, 2017 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The human rights of Hindu citizens are consistently violated in nine countries and one state in India where Hindus constitute a minority: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bhutan, the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, Sri Lanka, Fiji, Saudi Arabia, and Trinidad and Tobago. This report documents the ongoing violations of human rights in these countries, as well as those of specific refugee populations. EGREGIOUS VIOLATORS Countries designated as Egregious Violators have either engaged in or allowed rampant and systemic human rights violations to take place against their Hindu populations. HAF has categorized the follow- ing countries as Egregious Violators in 2016: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Malaysia, and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF AFGHANISTAN Area 652,230 sq km Population 33,332,025 (July 2016 est.) COUNTRY OVERVIEW Religions Islam 99.7% (Sunni 84–89%, Shia 10–15%), Other 0.3% (includes Hindus, Christians, and Sikhs) 2016 was once again marked by violence, rampant corruption, a lack of governance, and instability in Ethnic Groups Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, oth- Afghanistan. Human rights continued to deteriorate er (includes smaller numbers of Baloch, Turkmen, throughout the year, as government officials, security Nuristani, Pamiri, Arab, Gujar, Brahui, Qizilbash, forces, local militias, and militant groups were all Aimaq, Pashai, and Kyrghyz) Note: current statistical responsible for committing gross human rights abuses data on the sensitive subject of ethnicity in Afghan- in violation of international law. istan is not available, and ethnicity data from small samples of respondents to opinion polls are not a The Afghan Taliban, which controls nearly 30 percent reliable alternative. of the country, attacked civilians with impunity, and Languages Afghan Persian or Dari (official language, the government was unable to protect its citizens though much of the population is bilingual) 50%, from violence or enforce the rule of law in
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Epic Imagination in Contemporary Indian Literature
    University of South Florida Scholar Commons Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate School May 2017 Modern Mythologies: The picE Imagination in Contemporary Indian Literature Sucheta Kanjilal University of South Florida, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd Part of the South and Southeast Asian Languages and Societies Commons Scholar Commons Citation Kanjilal, Sucheta, "Modern Mythologies: The pE ic Imagination in Contemporary Indian Literature" (2017). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/6875 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Modern Mythologies: The Epic Imagination in Contemporary Indian Literature by Sucheta Kanjilal A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy with a concentration in Literature Department of English College of Arts and Sciences University of South Florida Major Professor: Gurleen Grewal, Ph.D. Gil Ben-Herut, Ph.D. Hunt Hawkins, Ph.D. Quynh Nhu Le, Ph.D. Date of Approval: May 4, 2017 Keywords: South Asian Literature, Epic, Gender, Hinduism Copyright © 2017, Sucheta Kanjilal DEDICATION To my mother: for pencils, erasers, and courage. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS When I was growing up in New Delhi, India in the late 1980s and the early 1990s, my father was writing an English language rock-opera based on the Mahabharata called Jaya, which would be staged in 1997. An upper-middle-class Bengali Brahmin with an English-language based education, my father was as influenced by the mythological tales narrated to him by his grandmother as he was by the musicals of Broadway impressario Andrew Lloyd Webber.
    [Show full text]
  • Copyright by Aarti Bhalodia-Dhanani 2012
    Copyright by Aarti Bhalodia-Dhanani 2012 The Dissertation Committee for Aarti Bhalodia-Dhanani certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: Princes, Diwans and Merchants: Education and Reform in Colonial India Committee: _____________________ Gail Minault, Supervisor _____________________ Cynthia Talbot _____________________ William Roger Louis _____________________ Janet Davis _____________________ Douglas Haynes Princes, Diwans and Merchants: Education and Reform in Colonial India by Aarti Bhalodia-Dhanani, B.A.; M.A. Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Texas at Austin May 2012 For my parents Acknowledgements This project would not have been possible without help from mentors, friends and family. I want to start by thanking my advisor Gail Minault for providing feedback and encouragement through the research and writing process. Cynthia Talbot’s comments have helped me in presenting my research to a wider audience and polishing my work. Gail Minault, Cynthia Talbot and William Roger Louis have been instrumental in my development as a historian since the earliest days of graduate school. I want to thank Janet Davis and Douglas Haynes for agreeing to serve on my committee. I am especially grateful to Doug Haynes as he has provided valuable feedback and guided my project despite having no affiliation with the University of Texas. I want to thank the History Department at UT-Austin for a graduate fellowship that facilitated by research trips to the United Kingdom and India. The Dora Bonham research and travel grant helped me carry out my pre-dissertation research.
    [Show full text]
  • H`C]U¶D $$ URZ]J 4`Gzu Trdvd Wc`^ : UZR
    0 :.2 ' (- ; - ; ; VRGR $"#(!#1')VCEBRS WWT!Pa!RT%&!$"#1$# %$/%"3<7. 12/1/ 3 1)6 $$ ,21)4 $5 '> +2?>+&>?& !80+$%4.?!??'&. &!//. 27807%!1+?6 /8?'7/8%/+46& &+!80&0'%& !8+203&8 +A0.0?+&A7 ?+!70. 11&0+0'7 28&2%+ 8@2&/2A0@62 7 ! (>"<%%? "< =4 - ,@4 3:4532 3.= -$. R / / ! P 34!54!646768946.4:..; 346<46:= 893475; ! " + +62780 #%& 34:4.<4<.<8934.=4653; ut of every third Covid-19 Lucknow: The Political edi- 3:4=4<66 Oinfection globally on daily tor of The Pioneer, Tavishi 9=<4=:4==< basis, one is now from India. Srivastva, died of Covid-19 The grim statistic underlines on Sunday. She was 73. , 34=:4.! the fact that India’s situation is Tavishi was admitted far worse than the rest of the to the Covid hospi- , ,33473457! world, which is now recovering # $ He also said even if vacci- tal of the KGMU from the onset of the deadly nation did not help right away, on Sunday morn- -:4:34.!3 second wave. The country !R it will help prepare for the ing after she reported 2,74,944 cases and future. “Every decision the reported breath- <4!=4.7589!4.7; 1,620 deaths during the last 24 & '( State is taking today is based on lessness and hours by Sunday midnight. the task force we created last fever. She was On Saturday, globally a +62780 year...as per science and med- shifted to ICU total of 7.84 lakh new infections ical facts, not by politics,” in the evening were reported, out of which ven before Maharashtra Thackeray, the Maharashtra after her condi- India alone contributed 2.60 Estumps out the deadly sec- Tourism and Environment tion deteriorated and at night lakh cases.
    [Show full text]
  • Drishti IAS Coaching in Delhi, Online IAS Test Series & Study Material
    Drishti IAS Coaching in Delhi, Online IAS Test Series & Study Material drishtiias.com/printpdf/uttar-pradesh-gk-state-pcs-english Uttar Pradesh GK UTTAR PRADESH GK State Uttar Pradesh Capital Lucknow Formation 1 November, 1956 Area 2,40,928 sq. kms. District 75 Administrative Division 18 Population 19,98,12,341 1/20 State Symbol State State Emblem: Bird: A pall Sarus wavy, in Crane chief a (Grus bow–and– Antigone) arrow and in base two fishes 2/20 State State Animal: Tree: Barasingha Ashoka (Rucervus Duvaucelii) State State Flower: Sport: Palash Hockey Uttar Pradesh : General Introduction Reorganisation of State – 1 November, 1956 Name of State – North-West Province (From 1836) – North-West Agra and Oudh Province (From 1877) – United Provinces Agra and Oudh (From 1902) – United Provinces (From 1937) – Uttar Pradesh (From 24 January, 1950) State Capital – Agra (From 1836) – Prayagraj (From 1858) – Lucknow (partial) (From 1921) – Lucknow (completely) (From 1935) Partition of State – 9 November, 2000 [Uttaranchal (currently Uttarakhand) was formed by craving out 13 districts of Uttar Pradesh. Districts of Uttar Pradesh in the National Capital Region (NCR) – 8 (Meerut, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Bulandshahr, Hapur, Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli) Such Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, who got the distinction of being the Prime Minister of India – Chaudhary Charan Singh and Vishwanath Pratap Singh Such Speaker of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, who also became Chief Minister – Shri Banarsidas and Shripati Mishra Speaker of the 17th Legislative
    [Show full text]
  • Jurnal Kajian Wilayah 10 No 2 (2019) 1-20 JURNAL KAJIAN WILAYAH P-ISSN: 2087-2119 E-ISSN: 2502-566X
    Jurnal Kajian Wilayah 10 No 2 (2019) 1-20 JURNAL KAJIAN WILAYAH p-ISSN: 2087-2119 e-ISSN: 2502-566x ISU ‘KETUANAN MELAYU’ DI MALAYSIA1 THE PROBLEM OF ‘KETUANAN MELAYU’ IN MALAYSIA Amri Marzali Lembaga Penelitian dan Pengembangan Sosial Politik Fakultas Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik Universitas Indonesia e-mail: [email protected] Diterima: 20-5-2019 Direvisi: 26-10-2019 Disetujui: 26-10-2019 ABSTRACT ‘Ketuanan Melayu’ is a conception of Malay political hegemony in Malaysia. The terminology was was originally aimed at countering negative propaganda proposed by the Malaysian Indian and the Malaysian Chinese, who accused that the special socio-political privileges given to the indigenous Malaysian peoples in the Malaysia’s Constitution and the affirmative New Economic Policy of 1971 have been a severe strategy to condemn the Indian and the Chinese Malaysians. On the other hand, the Malays in Malaysia traced the idea of Malay political hegemony from the political situation in the period of Malay kingdom of Melaka in the 15th century. In this article, I proposed that what is now called Malay political hegemony could be compared to what was called beschikkingsrecht in Dutch language, in the colonial period of Indonesia. This terminology referred to the sovereignty of the native peoples in Malay Archipelago over their land and political state. Lastly I find debate on the Malay political hegemony in Malaysia recently, whether between the natives versus the immigrants, or between the ruling Malays versus the opposition Malays, are pertaining with 6 articles in the Constitution and Act of Malaysian Armforce of 1972. This set of rules is knownly called Wasiat Raja-raja Melayu (The Wasiat of the Malay Sultans).
    [Show full text]
  • Page12local.Qxd (Page 1)
    SATURDAY, JULY 15, 2017 (PAGE 12) DAILY EXCELSIOR, JAMMU KPs protest against LeT operative’s Powerful explosive found in UP Assembly brother held LUCKNOW, July 14: and plastic explosive," he said. sive from the Assembly. PETN is one of the most dan- In the Home department press MUZAFFARNAGAR (UP), In a major security breach, a gerous plastic explosives avail- briefing, IG (ATS) Aseem Arun attack on yatris July 14: powerful plastic explosive was Excelsior Correspondent continue to strive for Gangabal able in the black market and pre- said the probe has been taken The brother of the alleged found in the Uttar Pradesh yatra and even for Sharda yatra ferred by militants as the colour- over by the ATS. NEW DELHI, July 14: All Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant Assembly, Chief Minister Yogi in POK and our spirits will not be GoI officers taking a review of fertilizers stocking & supply less crystals easily surpass securi- He said fool proof security Parties Migrants Coordination Sandeep Sharma, who was Adityanath today informed the ty checks. arrangements will be made. dampened by such cowardly acts position during a meeting at Jammu on Friday. House, which unanimously rec- Committee (APMCC), Panun arrested in Jammu and Kashmir, Adityanath said the explosive To a question as to from of militants " Ravinder Pandita has been held for questioning ommended an NIA probe into it. Kashmir (PK), Kashmiri Samiti siad. But Separatists and anti was found under the bench, third whose seat the explosive was Delhi (KSD), Roots in Kashmir over Rs 2 lakh bank deposit, Fertilizers stocking & supply Uttar Pradesh Police swung from where the Leader of found, Arun said, "The seat is national forces have always pre- into action and registered an FIR (RIK), Jammu Kashmir Vichar police said today.
    [Show full text]
  • Esdo Profile 2021
    ECO-SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION (ESDO) ESDO PROFILE 2021 Head Office Address: Eco-Social Development Organization (ESDO) Collegepara (Gobindanagar), Thakurgaon-5100, Thakurgaon, Bangladesh Phone:+88-0561-52149, +88-0561-61614 Fax: +88-0561-61599 Mobile: +88-01714-063360, +88-01713-149350 E-mail:[email protected], [email protected] Web: www.esdo.net.bd Dhaka Office: ESDO House House # 748, Road No: 08, Baitul Aman Housing Society, Adabar,Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh Phone: +88-02-58154857, Mobile: +88-01713149259, Email: [email protected] Web: www.esdo.net.bd 1 ECO-SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION (ESDO) 1. BACKGROUND Eco-Social Development Organization (ESDO) has started its journey in 1988 with a noble vision to stand in solidarity with the poor and marginalized people. Being a peoples' centered organization, we envisioned for a society which will be free from inequality and injustice, a society where no child will cry from hunger and no life will be ruined by poverty. Over the last thirty years of relentless efforts to make this happen, we have embraced new grounds and opened up new horizons to facilitate the disadvantaged and vulnerable people to bring meaningful and lasting changes in their lives. During this long span, we have adapted with the changing situation and provided the most time-bound effective services especially to the poor and disadvantaged people. Taking into account the government development policies, we are currently implementing a considerable number of projects and programs including micro-finance program through a community focused and people centered approach to accomplish government’s development agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN as a whole.
    [Show full text]
  • Esdo Profile
    ECO-SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION (ESDO) ESDO PROFILE Head Office Address: Eco-Social Development Organization (ESDO) Collegepara (Gobindanagar), Thakurgaon-5100, Thakurgaon, Bangladesh Phone:+88-0561-52149, +88-0561-61614 Fax: +88-0561-61599 Mobile: +88-01714-063360, +88-01713-149350 E-mail:[email protected], [email protected] Web: www.esdo.net.bd Dhaka Office: ESDO House House # 748, Road No: 08, Baitul Aman Housing Society, Adabar,Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh Phone: +88-02-58154857, Mobile: +88-01713149259, Email: [email protected] Web: www.esdo.net.bd 1 Eco-Social Development Organization (ESDO) 1. Background Eco-Social Development Organization (ESDO) has started its journey in 1988 with a noble vision to stand in solidarity with the poor and marginalized people. Being a peoples' centered organization, we envisioned for a society which will be free from inequality and injustice, a society where no child will cry from hunger and no life will be ruined by poverty. Over the last thirty years of relentless efforts to make this happen, we have embraced new grounds and opened up new horizons to facilitate the disadvantaged and vulnerable people to bring meaningful and lasting changes in their lives. During this long span, we have adapted with the changing situation and provided the most time-bound effective services especially to the poor and disadvantaged people. Taking into account the government development policies, we are currently implementing a considerable number of projects and programs including micro-finance program through a community focused and people centered approach to accomplish government’s development agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN as a whole.
    [Show full text]
  • Responsible for Deaths of Involvement in Major Terrorist Attacks Designation Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, Amir, Lashkar-E-Taiba And
    Responsible Involvement in major terrorist Designation for deaths of attacks . January 1998 Wandhama . Declared as terrorist by India under massacre (23) the amended Unlawful Activities . March 2000 Chittisinghpura (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in Hafiz Mohammed 625 people massacre (35) September 2019; Saeed, Amir, . December 2000 Red Fort attack . Designated as a global terrorist by Lashkar-e-Taiba (3) the UN in December 2008; and Jamaat-ud- . May 2002 Kaluchak massacre . Designated by the US Treasury in Daawa (31) May 2008; . March 2003 Nandimarg . Carries reward up to $10 million massacre (24) from the US Government. Zaki-ur-Rahman . October 2005 Delhi Diwali blasts . Declared as terrorist by India under Lakhvi, (62) the amended UAPA in September Operational . March 2006 Varanasi blasts (28) 2019; Commander, . April 2006 Doda massacre (34) . Designated as a global terrorist by Lashkar-e-Taiba . July 2006 Mumbai train blasts the UN in December 2008; (211) . Designated by the US Treasury in . January 2008 Rampur CRPF May 2008. camp attack (8) . November 2008 Mumbai attack (166) Masood Azhar, 125 people . October 2001 Srinagar Assembly . Declared as terrorist under the Amir, Jaish-e- attack (38) December 2001 amended UAPA in September 2019; Mohammed Parliament attack (9) . Designated by the UN as a global . January 2016 Pathankot attack terrorist in May 2019; (7) . Designated by the US Treasury in . September 2016 Uri attack (19) November 2010. October 2017 Humhama BSF camp attack (1) . December 2017 Lethpora CRPF camp attack (4) . February 2018 Sunjawan attack (7) . February 2019 Lethpora suicide attack (40) Dawood Ibrahim 257 people March 1993 Mumbai serial blasts .
    [Show full text]
  • Kashmir: January 2019 by Jon Lunn
    BRIEFING PAPER Number 7356, 2 January 2019 Kashmir: January 2019 By Jon Lunn update Contents: 1. 2016: The killing of Burhan Wani triggers renewed violence 2. Developments during 2017 3. Developments during 2018 4. Low-key response from Western governments 5. Impasse without end? www.parliament.uk/commons-library | intranet.parliament.uk/commons-library | [email protected] | @commonslibrary 2 Kashmir: January 2019 update Contents Summary 4 1. 2016: The killing of Burhan Wani triggers renewed violence 6 Protests, strikes and curfews 6 Response of the Indian Government 6 Flaring up of tension between India and Pakistan 7 2. Developments during 2017 8 2017 the deadliest year since 2010 8 Main flashpoints and incidents 8 3. Developments during 2018 10 2018 more violent than 2017 10 Flashpoints and incidents 10 Deepening political crisis 12 4. Responses of Western governments and the UN 13 US response 13 UK response 13 EU response 14 UN response 14 5. Conclusion: impasse without end? 15 3 Commons Library Briefing, 2 January 2019 Cover page image copyright: Indian Army Act on Kashmiris by Usama302. Wikimedia Commons Licensed by CC BY 4.0 / image cropped. 4 Kashmir: January 2019 update Summary This briefing covers events in Indian-administered Kashmir since July 2016, which have been characterised by a dramatic upsurge in protest and violence on the ground – what some have called the “worst crisis in a generation”. On 8 July 2016, Burhan Wani, a 22-year-old leader of the armed group Hizbul Mujahedin, was killed by the Indian security forces. Following Wani’s death, the Kashmir Valley saw its biggest outbreak of protest and violence since 2010.
    [Show full text]
  • 605-616 Hinduism and Zoroastrianism.Indd
    Hinduism and Zoroastrianism The term “Zoroastrianism,” coined in the 19th migrated to other parts of the world, and in the century in a colonial context, is inspired by a postcolonial age, especially since the 1960s, this Greek pseudo-etymological rendering (Zoro- movement has intensified, so that the so-called astres, where the second element is reminiscent diaspora is becoming the key factor for the future of the word for star) of the ancient Iranian name development of the religion (Stausberg, 2002b; Zaraϑuštra (etymology unclear apart from the sec- Hinnells, 2005). Given their tiny numbers, their ond element, uštra [camel]). This modern name non-proselytization and their constructive con- of the religion reflects the emphasis on Zarathus- tributions to Indian society (e.g. example through tra (Zoroaster) as its (presumed) founding figure their various charitable contributions [Hinnells, or prophet. 2000]), and their commitments to the army and Zoroastrianism and Hinduism share a remote other Indian institutions, which are routinely common original ancestry, but their historical celebrated in community publications, the Parsis trajectories over the millennia have been notably and their religion have so far not drawn forth any distinct. Just like Hinduism claims and maintains negative social response in India. a particular relationship to the spatial entity know Being offshoots of older Indo-European and as India, Zoroastrianism has conceived itself as Indo-Iranian poetic traditions, the oldest tex- the religion of the Iranians and
    [Show full text]
  • Framing Interethnic Conflict in Malaysia: a Comparative Analysis of Newspaper Coverage on the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf)
    International Journal of Communication 6 (2012), 166–189 1932–8036/20120166 Framing Interethnic Conflict in Malaysia: A Comparative Analysis of Newspaper Coverage on the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) LAI FONG YANG Taylor's University Malaysia MD SIDIN AHMAD ISHAK University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur Despite repeated warnings from the Malaysian government, the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) rally drew thousands of Indians protesting on the streets of Kuala Lumpur on November 25, 2007. Mistreatment of Indians and lack of press coverage of their plight had been commonplace for years. By employing framing as the theoretical framework and content analysis as the research method, this study examines what perspectives newspapers have created that influence citizens’ understanding of the Hindraf movement. Three mainstream newspapers were found to focus on the conflict frame, and their representation of Hindraf articulated a hegemonic discourse that was prejudicial to the interests of the group and contrary to a spirit of democratic inquiry. The dissimilar coverage of the same issue by the alternative newspaper denoted that publication’s varied points of view, which were rooted in different political beliefs, cultural assumptions and institutional practices. Introduction Since gaining independence in 1957, the Malaysian government has viewed interethnic relations as a real challenge to the social stability of the country (Abdul Rahman, 2000; Baharuddin, 2005; Brown, 1994). As early as 1970, Mahathir Mohamad, who was then a medical doctor and later became the fourth and longest-serving prime minister of Malaysia, claimed that there was never true racial harmony in Malaysia. In his much-debated and once-banned book, The Malay Dilemma, he argued that although there was a certain amount of tolerance and accommodation, racial harmony in Malaysia was neither real nor Lai Fong Yang: [email protected] Md Sidin Ahmadd Ishak: [email protected] Date submitted: 2011–06–03 Copyright © 2012 (Lai Fong Yang & Md Sidin Ahmad Ishak).
    [Show full text]