IAMC under NHRC lens for alleged misrepresentation of Indian Muslims

NEW DELHI: The US-based Indian-American Muslim Council (IAMC) has come under the lens over alleged attempts to portray Indian Muslims in bad light and also for influencing the media reportage on their sub-human conditions with illicit funding. This comes on back of a complaint filed by the Akhil Bhartiya Pasmanda Muslim Manch before the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). Taking cognisance of the complaint, the human rights body has called for a swift enquiry into charges, followed by an Action Taken Report (ATR) within 10 days. IAMC is one of the largest advocacy groups in America, which routinely raises issues concerning the Muslim population in India. In recent memory, it expressed grave concerns over the Election Commission of India's Bihar voter verification drive and warned that it could impact voting rights of millions of Indians, particularly the vulnerable sections belonging to the minority community. The complaint before NHRC was lodged by Javed Malik, the national convenor of Akhil Bhartiya Pasmanda Muslim Manch in which it claimed that the IAMC, through its HRRF Journalism Grant 2025, was promoting a distorted narrative of Indian Muslims as perpetually oppressed. He claimed that these foreign funded grants, offered without FCRA registration or compliance disclosures, incentivise journalists to focus exclusively on communal tensions, misrepresenting the community and violating Indian laws. He further alleged that such externally curated narratives damage the dignity and public image of Indian Muslims, foster communal distrust, and isolate marginalised groups within the community. While flagging a series of violations by the US-based group, the Akhil Bhartiya Pasmanda Muslim Manch sought a detailed probe into potential FCRA violations by the foreign outfit and also corrective actions to safeguard communal harmony. The NHRC, taking quick cognizance of the complaint, issued a notice to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for a prompt probe into the matter. It has also sought an ATR over the complaint in 10 days. Priyank Kanoongo, a member of the NHRC, weighing in on the shocking ‘disclosures’ against the IAMC said that such twisted narrative by the America-based group to spread false propaganda over Indian Muslims was a concerning matter and calls for swift investigation. (IANS)

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