Justice For All demands State Department action following mass demolitions and lynchings targeting Muslims
WASHINGTON, DC – A leading US-based human rights organisation has urged the Donald Trump administration to take decisive action in response to two alarming incidents of anti-Muslim persecution in India. It also warned that unchecked religious violence in the world’s largest democracy threatens long-term US interests in the Indo-Pacific.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Justice For All flagged the May 22 demolition of over 8,000 Muslim homes in Gujarat without legal notice or judicial review. “Authorities cited ‘national security’ as justification, labelling long-time residents as ‘infiltrators.’ Just two days later, on May 24, Muslim youth transporting meat were violently attacked by cow vigilante groups in Uttar Pradesh,” it said.
The attack was carried out on the allegation that the Muslim victims were carrying beef in their vehicle. Justice For All said even after forensic tests confirmed that no beef was present, no arrests have been made thus far.
The statement called on the US Department of State to:
• Launch a formal review of India’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for religious freedom violations, as recommended for multiple years by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).
• Tie future US-India trade and defence cooperation to measurable progress on religious liberty and the rule of law.
• Appoint a special advisor to monitor religious freedom conditions in South Asia, particularly where mob violence and state complicity intersect.
“This is no longer about isolated incidents. It’s about a pattern of lawlessness and religious targeting. Mob violence, false accusations and mass demolitions are being normalised. The US cannot afford to turn a blind eye when these actions destabilise one of our most important strategic partners,” said Zahir Adil, Team Lead, Justice For All’s Save India From Fascism campaign.
Echoing his comments, Imam Abdul Malik Mujahid, President of Justice For All said: “President Trump has stood up for religious freedom around the world. He launched the first-ever Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom in 2018. This is the time to use America’s leverage to protect minorities, uphold justice and send a clear message that bulldozer politics and mob impunity have no place in a country that claims to be a democracy.”
