Friday, May 22, 2009

Protest Against Atrocities on Sikhs in Pakistan

MEMORANDUM TO MR. MOHSIN RAZI
CONSUL GENERAL OF PAKISTAN May 6, 2009


Mr. Mohsin Razi
Consul General of Pakistan
12 East 65th Street
New York, NY 10065

Sub: Protest Against Atrocities on Sikhs in Pakistan

Hon. Mohsin Razi:

We, the undersigned, living in New York are highly perturbed and deeply disturbed at the atrocities perpetrated on our Sikh brothers in Pakistan.

It is a matter of great regret and shame that our Sikh brothers in Pakistan were targeted by Taliban to pay $50 million as religious tax (Jazia). When they refused to pay the Jazia, their houses were ransacked, looted and blown to bits. They were terrorized and warned that they would be killed if they did not pay the tax.

We consider this as an egregious violation of human rights. Because of threat to their lives, 150 Sikh families have moved from Buner, Swat and Aurakzai Agency to Rawalpindi, Lahore and other parts of the country.

State Department spokesman Robert Wood has described Taliban as “ruthless killers”. We are very anguished to note that Government of Pakistan has so far taken no action to bring the culprits to the book. We condemn Pakistan government’s deliberate connivance at criminal activities by Taliban towards our Sikh brothers.

We would also bring to your attention that last month a group of 35 Hindu people crossed over to India and sought Government of India’s permission to stay in India because they could not take the harassment and barbarities of Taliban.


Sikhs have been living in Pakistan under subhuman conditions. In 2007, Jihad Watch had reported that an 18th Century Sikh Gurudwara in Lahore was taken over by a Muslim group and converted into a mosque.

Hence, we urge you to kindly bring to the attention of Government of Pakistan our distress and apprehension, and ensure safety and security of our Sikh brothers in Pakistan.

Very truly yours,
Sd/-
Narain Kataria
President
Indian American Intellectuals Forum, New York
(718) 478-5735

Sd/-
Bhupinder Singh Bhurji
Chairman and CEO
Namdhari Sikh Foundation, New York
(917) 370-2500




RALLY AGAINST RADICAL ISLAM IN NEW YORK

RALLY AGAINST RADICAL ISLAM IN NEW YORK

Report from Narain Kataria, New York

The Human Rights Coalition Against Radical Islam organized an impressive rally on May 3, 2009 at Times Square right in the heart of New York City in which approximately 500 people participated. The rally was held on behalf of many victims of Islam and in defense of human rights and freedom. The purpose was to express an outrage at the rising tide of Radical Islam all over the globe and to educate and awaken the Americans at gross root level regarding the threat of Radical Islam posed to America and other countries of the free world.


Addressing the outdoor rally of enthusiastic activists in the pouring rain, Dr. Tawfik Hameed, a former member of Jemaah Islamiyah of Egypt, called for the defeat of Radical Islam. He urged the audience to heighten their awareness of danger from Islamic supremacism to the human rights all across the globe.

Pastor Gerald Bell, a black minister from Boston, pointing to the site of 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001, said that “we, the people of all races and many cultures and countries” must band together to resist the world’s newest barbarism, the Radical Political Islam.

In the recent past, America strengthened the forces of freedom when it defeated the fascism and communism. But today, it is the Political Islam that is surging all around the globe. Propelled by the twin engines of terror and deception, Political Islam enslaves and slaughters blacks in Africa; assaults Christian communities in Iraq, Egypt, Pakistan; oppresses the Bahais, Sikhs and Hindus on Indian subcontinent; subjugates and beats women in Islamic communities; murders gays; demonizes and kills Jews; subjugates and hunts moderate Muslims.

Arish Sahani, a human rights activist from the Indian community and the Vice President of Indian American Intellectuals Forum recounted history of the last 1400 years in that connection. In that period, the radical Islam has caused the murder of 270 million human beings: among them 120 million Africans, 60 million Christians, 80 million Hindus and Sikhs and 10 million Buddhists. Tracing India’s history, Mr. Sahani recalled that in the year 1399, Turkish invader Sultan Taimur (Tamerlane) massacred 100,000 Hindus in India in a single day.

Mr. Sahani pointedly asked the audience the following questions:
Do you want to live under the radical Islam?
Do you know what radical Islam really is?
Do you know what happens when the radical Islam takes over your area?
Do you know that under the radical Islam no other religion is allowed to exist?


“We must stand up to the evil that radical Islam represents,” declared Mohamed Yahya, a human rights leader who had earlier traveled to Sudan to rescue African slaves from their Arab (Muslim) captors. “The barbarism that I personally witnessed there was simply indescribable. I tell you that amongst radical Islamists nobody is safe. Their agenda is to enslave, rape, kidnap and murder the Christians, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, and anyone who does not subscribe to their baneful credo.”

Mr. Yahya proclaimed loudly that Radical Islam openly threatens to conquer the West. Confused, befuddled, imbecilic Western leaders pretend as if the danger is not there; they wish away the nightmare. But we, who have faced so many Islamist atrocities, know better and cannot close our eyes to that horrific reality.

Mr. Bhupinder Singh Bhurji, Chairman and CEO of Namdhari Sikh Foundation said, “I am an American Sikh. Originally I am from India. Our religion is the youngest one in the world. We are the followers of Guru Nanak ji, a great philosopher, poet and saint. We Sikhs believe in the dignity of human life. We believe in peace, harmony and brotherhood between all beings.

He continued, “We Sikhs have suffered the most at the hands of Radical Islam in the last 400 years of Islamic rule. I would like to narrate only a few instances of Islamic barbarity and savagery.

“In Sixteen Century India was attacked by Islamic invaders from Afghanistan. Our spiritual master Guru Nanak Dev ji was put in jail by Moslem King and persecuted. Subsequently, thousands of Sikhs were chased and killed. Our fifth Guru Arjun Dev ji was forced to sit on a hot plate with the blazing fire underneath. Hot sand was poured over his body and he achieved martyrdom. Our ninth Guru Teg Bahadur Saheb was also brutalized inhumanely and achieved martyrdom for the sake of faith and humanity. Our tenth Guru Govind Singhji’s two young sons were bricked alive by Islamists by not agreeing to accept Islam.

“In the end, we said enough is enough and drove out the invaders from our region. Historically, we Sikhs are reputed to be brave people and fearless fighters. That’s why we were the mainstay of the colonial British army then and the army of the free India now. The world can learn from Sikhs how to handle the Islamist barbarism.”

“In the world with Radical Islam, our freedom of expression is in danger. The future of our children is in danger. On behalf of my organization, I offer my full support to the Human Rights Coalition against the Radical Islam.” He ended his speech by shouting “God Bless America.”

Beth Gilinsky of the Jewish Action Alliance summarized it by saying, “Radical Islam, Islamic Supremacy, Sharia Law, Jihadism – call it what you will – but we know that it is all about the killing of ‘infidels’ and ‘apostates.’ The main agenda of Radical Islam is the slaughter of innocent people because of their faith, their political beliefs and convictions, or just because of who they are.”

Other speakers in the gathering were Michael W. Cutler of the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington-based think tank and Shlomi Azulay, an Israeli survivor of a Hamas suicide bombing attack in downtown Jerusalem in 2002.

The following organizations, diverse in composition but united in the purpose, enthusiastically participated in the Rally. 911 Families for a Secure America, ACT for America, Long Island and Manhattan, AIR - Alliance for Interfaith Resistance, Aish Center, American Coptic Union, Americans for a Safe Israel, Alliance of Iranian Women, AMCHA-Coalition for Jewish Concerns, American Center for Democracy, Americans for Peace & Tolerance, Arabs for Israel, Artists4Israel, Atlas Shrugs, Center for Security Policy, Chinese Community Relations Council, Coalition for Israel, Damanga (Darfur Muslim organization), The David Project, Fordham University School of Law's National Security and Law Society, Foundation of Nepalese Americans, Gathering of Eagles-NY, Global Movement Against Radical Islam, Hasbara Fellowships, Hindu Human Rights Watch, Indian American Intellectuals Forum, International Foundation of Bangladeshi Hindus, Iraq the Model, Israpundit, Jewish Action Alliance, Jihad Watch, Mothers Against Terrorism, Muslims Against Sharia, Namdhari Sikh Foundation, R.E.A.L. - Responsible for Equality and Liberty, Sikh Recognition Trust, Snapped Shot, StandWithUS, Sudan Freedom Walk, Women United: Code Red, The World Committee for the Land of Israel, Zionist Organization of America.