09/26/2019 Washington, D.C. (International Christian Concern) – President Trump recently delivered remarks at the United Nations General Assembly highlighting significant statistics and threats to Christians and other people of faith around the world. While it is a commendable for the President of the United States to deliver such remarks at an institution like the UN, the fact remains that just the night before the Trump administration, alongside several other US political leaders, publicly welcomed one of the most notorious persecutors of the Christians and other religious minorities—Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India.

While geopolitical relationships are immensely important to the grand strategy goals of the United States in South Asia, overlooking the heinous human rights abuses taking place in India at all levels of political and societal life is unacceptable. India is festering with radical and extremist religious nationalism, which demonizes religious minorities in the country. Hindutva is that defining ideology of Prime Minister Modi and his BJP political party. The ideology drives India to be a Hindu country where all other faiths are not welcomed. Attacks on faith minorities have become commonplace in India where perpetrators (often religious leaders and officials) operate with complete impunity and victims are criminalized under anti forced conversion and blasphemy laws.

While the US is right to develop a relationship with India, it should not allow India to operate oppressively towards minority faiths. The United States should always lead with its values when it comes to foreign policy, and calling attention to atrocities like the ones in India and holding the leadership accountable should be among the top priority matters for the Trump administration.

While the Trump administration has, without a doubt, done much in terms of policy for the expansion of religious freedom in a global scale, India cannot and should not be ignored. US leaders should use every opportunity to engage Indian leadership on these matters and publicly demand that Indian leadership condemn hateful rhetoric and the incitement of violence by local, regional, and federal-level leaders. A country that prides itself on being the world’s largest democracy and celebrates its rich history of pluralism and enshrined religious freedom in its constitution should take decisive action immediately to begin curbing the religious violence that is spiking all over the country.

The Trump administration needs to hold India accountable. No more overlooking the plight of Christians and faith minorities. The time has come to pressure Prime Minister Modi.

Earlier this week, ICC hosted a briefing on the current conditions in India on Capitol Hill. ICC will continue to brief policy makers on these issues and ensure that the Christians in India have a voice on Capitol Hill.

Matias Perttula currently serves as the Advocacy Director for International Christian Concern where he leads the government relations efforts to mobilize the US government to address issues of persecution in countries where religious minorities are oppressed and the freedom of religion is in decline.