India, followed by South Korea, Japan, Panama, and the US, has the highest level of acceptance of religious minorities, according to the Global Minority Report’s survey of 110 countries. The UK and the UAE are ranked 54th and 61st on the list, respectively, with the Maldives, Afghanistan, and Somalia at the bottom.

The report claims that India’s minority policy is built on a strategy that emphasizes fostering diversity.

Specific and exclusive provisions for the advancement of religious minorities in culture and education are found in the Indian Constitution. The report claims that no other Constitution has explicit provisions for the support of linguistic and religious minorities.

It demonstrates how India has no restrictions on any religious sects, in contrast to many other countries.

According to the report, the UN may use India’s minority policy as an example for other countries due to its inclusivity and absence of discrimination against numerous religions and their sects.

In light of this, the report explicitly emphasizes the need for periodic reviews and reexaminations of India’s minority policy. It goes on to say that India must rationalize its treatment of minorities if it wants to keep the nation free of strife.

The Global Minority Report’s purpose is to inform the international community on the prevalence of prejudice towards minorities who practice different religions in various countries.

This study also takes into account the global concerns that different religious sects and organizations address.

The importance of this study lies in the fact that it is the first international assessment to give countries a grade based on how they treat their individual religious minorities. Additionally, it is the first report by a collection of non-Western and Afro-Asian countries to rank various countries in accordance with specified criteria.

How it works

The Global Minority Report consists of three parts. The first looks at theoretical issues with respect to human rights, minority rights, the concept of religious freedom and its shortcomings, as well as how to balance them. It also discusses issues with culture, the plight of religious minorities, and the foundation of religious diversity. Any atheist or secular nation’s discriminatory practices against religious minorities are justified for a number of significant reasons. It also covers a wide range of subjects related to culture, religion, and conversion.

In the second section, policies toward minorities in various countries are discussed. Although there are case studies of many other countries, the minority model in India is discussed as a particular case study. The poll rates India as the most inclusive country out of 110 based on a set of criteria.

The State Religion Neutrality Index, the State Inclusive Index, the State Discrimination Index, and the Global Minority Index are only a few of the statistical data that can be found in the third component. All the indices are combined to form a set of indicators on the state of religious minorities in a country.

Loyalty of Minorities

The report explores the obligations of religious minorities to uphold the integrity and general welfare of the country in which they reside. The report contends that when a nation’s legitimacy is in doubt, the United Nations shouldn’t overlook minority’ loyalty to it.

The report claims that certain rights must be granted with the knowledge that they must meet particular basic standards. No country should be threatened because of minorities’ rights. This report firmly believes that some obligations must be decided for the beneficiary of the rights in order to make the relationship between the State and its minorities cordial and to eliminate the “trust deficit” between them, even though it supports all of the privileges suggested for minorities by the UN.

The report claims that when minority groups contest a country’s geographical integrity, protecting minority rights becomes difficult. Other countries are also dealing with same problem. There is a “trust gap” in the relationship between religious minority and the State when they contest a country’s sovereignty. The report claims that in these circumstances, the State punishes minorities, which results in their persecution. The report also mentions that the underrecognition of minorities is a serious issue.

JFA is the hotbed of anti-India narratives.

Human rights issues are being weaponized to exploit Indian democracy by US-based Pakistan/Jamaat fronts, created to exploit Indian fault-line in the name of rights and freedom. Alas, they are given prominence by Indians not knowing their truth. One such front is Justice for All.

Justice For All (JFA) is a Chicago-based organization, founded in 1999 by a Pakistani national Abdul Malik Mujahid, former head (1975-77) of Jamiat-e-Talaba which is a Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan’s youth/student wing (it’s Indian counterpart is Student Islamic Organization — SIO).

JFA is the hotbed of anti-India narratives, creating multiple fronts in name of practically all Indian rights’ issues to exploit the Indian fault lines. Its core objective is to paint India with labels of fascism, Islamophobia, and genocide.

For example, #SaveIndia project is a key project of JFA to ‘fight fascism in India’. However, it was conceived by JFA and Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) founder Shaik Ubaid, first as ImanNet, a networking site for US Muslims, which was later renamed as Save India.

Burma Task Force (BTF), another JFA project run with Shaik Ubaid, had hired US lobby firm Fidelis Govt Relations (FGR) to get India blacklisted by US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

BTF collected funds in the name of Rohingyas and Uyghurs, and paid $2,67,000 to FGR.

‘Free Kashmir’ is another project of JFA against India where it operates along with other Pakistan’s Intelligence network ISI, and Jamaat backed fronts such as Stand With Kashmir and ISI operatives like Ghulam Nabi Fai.

JFA’s Jamaat ancestry

JFA is supported by another front ‘Sound Vision’ which was also founded by Mujahid in 1988 when he was associated with Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA). The ICNA is Jamaat offshoot in the West.

ICNA is key to connect all Islamist fronts in the US. ICNA was set up by Jamaat, being inspired by a similar front of Muslim Brotherhood called Islamic Society of North America (ISNA). How creative!

From Pakistan with love?

The core of JFA comprises of Pakistani origin Jamaat linked individuals namely Md. Yunus, Hena Zuberi, Kalim Farooki, Taha Ghayyur, Md. Khalid Riyaz, etc. The only prominent Indian member in JFA is Ahmadullah Siddiqi — founder of banned militant outfit Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).

Hena Zuberi, Director of JFA, is a ‘journalist’. She is cousin of Retired Pakistan Army Colonel Kaleem Zuberi. Hena is also associated with of Afia Foundation, which was set up to defend Aafia Siddiqui aka ‘Lady Al Qaeda’, who aided the 9/11 attacks mastermind, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

For some reasons, JFA has hidden all links with Pakistan from its revamped website, but the archives gave away. JFA’s early website redirected to ‘pakgovnet-kashmir’ of Pakistani Government, whose ‘Kashmir’ section endorsed Jamaat-e-Islami thinktank — Islamabad Policy Studies and YesPakistan.Org.

YesPakistan.Org is a lobby front set up by Pakistani expats in the US in 1970s to influence US body-politic, and it shares the same Kashmir toolkit of JFA. It is run by Human Development Foundation, which in turn is run by retired Pakistani army officials.

Other than denting India’s image: JFA remains busy raising funds – funds for the big villas in US, business class travels, and at 5-star events.

Funds also for their children’s costly education in US – all for human rights.

How lucrative is human rights business?

It must be very lucrative. Why else all the Jamaat fronts bring all their family members to lead, not outsiders. From sons to daughter to daughter-in-laws. It’s all in family.

Despite being founded and run by all Pakistani members, JFA doesn’t raises a single human rights concern of Pakistan. Not even a single one. Indians, Pakistanis, and Americans – all are worried only about India.

The article is based on DisInfoLab’s twitter thread.

DisInfo Lab describes itself as a separate legal entity with the motive of unveiling fake news and propaganda that intend to create turmoil among people.