We are restarting ICSOA Newsletter after a break and welcome Taufeeq Ahmed Sheikh to the Media team, who has substantial experience and skills to help with the regular release of ICSOA Newsletter in future and further broaden the scope of this department.

Indian Muslims are indeed going through a most difficult time since the re-election of the Modi BJP government almost a year ago with a heavy mandate where it has enacted a number of policies to marginalise the large Muslim minority in the country, a move towards making them second class citizens.

Now that the Hindutva forces are in power, they are accelerating their efforts by enacting laws leading to denial of citizenship, religious discrimination and outright oppression of Muslims in India. The attack on Indian Muslims is multifocal, their faith identity, religious practices, historic legacy and their languages are being marginalised.

The enactment of the CAA in December 2019 came in the wake of total military lockdown in Kashmir since 5 August 2019, granting of historic Babri Mosque land to build a temple in November 2019 and denial of citizenship to 2 million people mostly Muslims in the state of Assam last year through a citizen’s register that will be soon expanded to cover the whole of the country anytime soon.

These oppressive measures seem to have been a wake up call for most Indians including Muslims, those within the country as well as the diaspora not to remain silent and come out to shape the destiny of their motherland towards a better future that guarantees equality, freedom and rights for all.

Shaheen Bagh protests are a symbol where largely Indian Muslim women, young and old supported by their men and people of all faiths and background who came out of their homes, saying enough is enough, India is their motherland and that of their children and demanding fair, just and equal treatment in India of tomorrow.

ICSOA in general and its Media committee in particular can play a vital role in advocating for the the protest movement and in helping to raise the voices of the silent majority who want build peace and harmony in India that is in the best interest of all its citizens.

Zia Ahmad
ICSOA-Media Coordinator