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[World News]: New York, March 18 : The denial of a US visa to Chief Minister Narendra Modi Friday follows a relentless campaign by a coalition of American and Indian American religious leaders and rights activists who accused him of persecuting religion minorities in Gujarat.
Barely a month after the coalition demanded that Modi be stopped from entering the US for his "campaign of extremism", the chief minister has indeed been denied the visa.
Joesph K. Grieboski, president of the International Institute on Religion and Public Policy who was the prime mover of a petition to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, had told IANS earlier: "Under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) of 1998, the US can deny visas to those involved in religious persecution."
Incidentally, the denial of a visa to Modi came close on the heels of Rice's visit to India.
Asked if he believed that given the strong bilateral relations between the US and India, Washington would actually heed his request, Grieboski had said: "That is precisely the reason why it is more possible now to do so."
Modi was scheduled to visit the US in the last week of March to attend the annual convention of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) at Fort Lauderdale in Florida March 24.
Hindu groups across the US began a counter-campaign soon after the coalition lined up several liberal and Christian, Muslim and Sikh religious groups in support of its petition.
Local Indian American newspapers took out full-page advertisements from Modi's supporters, mainly sympathisers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Hindu groups, in Modi's favour. One advertisement described him as the "lion of Gujarat."
But the coalition had written to Rice "to encourage the denial of a visa or, should he already have a visa, bar entrance into the country".
"Since taking office as chief minister of Gujarat Oct 7, 2001, Modi has pursued a campaign of extremism targeting religious minorities in Gujarat."
"The most egregious violation of religious freedom engaged by Modi - the orchestrated attacks in Gujarat in 2002 in which more than 2,000 Muslims were killed during government condoned riots - unfortunately falls outside the consideration of the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA). The aftermath of the riots, however, has demonstrated that Modi and his BJP government are not in compliance with the spirit and standards of IRFA."
"The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 was established as a tool to advance freedom of religion globally on the one hand and to punish those individuals and regimes responsible for reprehensible acts of persecution and discrimination on the other," Grieboski said.
The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), which claims to be the largest advocacy group for Muslims in the US, also sent out an "Action Alert" urging members to send letters to the State Department to block Modi's entry into the US.
Those opposed to Modi's entry into the US formed a group, the Coalition Against Genocide (CAG), to press for action by the AAHOA and by US government officials.
The AAHOA, consisting predominantly of entrepreneurs of Gujarati origin, had stood by its invitation saying Modi was their guest and it was unlikely to change. With the convention less than a week away the association will have to alter its programme.
Chris Mathews, the popular host of the current affairs show "Hardball", who was scheduled to be among the star speakers, pulled out because of some prior commitments but it was clear to many that he was doing so because of the controversy around Modi. Such speakers are typically paid thousands of dollars as a speaking fee.
http://www.newkerala.com/news-daily/news/features.php?action=fullnews&id=87448
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