CAIR-NJ Asks NJ Governor Phil Murphy to Cancel Trip to India Over Kashmir Crisis
(SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ, 8/7/2019) — The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ) today called on that state’s Governor Phil Murphy to cancel his planned economic mission trip to India in September in consideration of the plight of the millions of people now under siege in the Kashmir valley at the hands of the Indian government.
“The Governor has an opportunity to make a statement to the world regarding New Jersey’s stance on the marginalization of a religious minority,” said CAIR New Jersey Executive Director Jim Sues. “By embarking on this mission, with the full knowledge of the steps recently taken by the Indian government, Governor Murphy would in effect be legitimizing and endorsing these illegal and inhumane actions.”
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED: EMAIL NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR PHIL MURPHY
https://www.votervoice.net/CAIR/campaigns/67803/respond
BACKGROUNDER:
The focus of the governor’s mission is to strengthen economic ties with one of New Jersey’s largest trade and investment partners, cultivate international investment opportunities in the Garden State and deepen cultural and educational ties between New Jersey and India.
SEE: Governor Phil Murphy to Lead Economic Mission Trip to India
https://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/562019/approved/20190715a.shtml
On Monday, the Indian government revoked Article 370 of the constitution, taking away the protected status of the Indian-controlled state of Jammu and Kashmir. The legal maneuvering that led to the revocation of Article 370 has been widely panned by legal experts as unconstitutional and a complaint has already been filed in the Indian Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the revocation.
For more than 70 years, this protected status granted autonomy to the Indian-controlled state of Jammu and Kashmir in all matters except defense, foreign affairs, and finance and communication. The accession of the Princely state of Jammu and Kashmir to India in 1947 was conditioned on a protected status for Jammu and Kashmir. United Nations Security Council Resolution 47, passed in 1948, allowed the people of Jammu and Kashmir a plebiscite to determine their future.
Yesterday, CAIR’s Washington, D.C., headquarters issued an action alert on the Kashmir issue.
CAIR ACTION ALERT: Urge State Department to Pressure India to End Lockdown, Lift Curfew and End Siege of Kashmir Valley
CAIR’s National Executive Director Nihad Awad also spoke at a protest outside the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C. and condemned recent actions taken by the Indian government.
SEE: CAIR National Executive Director Speaking at Protest on Kashmir Crisis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvDQAQ6Mqew
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
