Call in US to observe December 6 as 'Babri Mosque Day'

Aziz Haniffa in Washington DC

Three major organisations have called upon Muslims in the United States to observe December 6 as 'Babri Mosque Day'.

The Association of Indian Muslims in America, which claims to represent 150,000 people, has given the call, which is endorsed by the Indian Muslim Council-USA and the Indian Muslim Relief Committee.

Other organisations backing the call include the American Muslim Alliance, the American Muslim Council, the Council on American Islamic Relations, the Islamic Circle of North America, the Islamic Society of North America, and the Muslim Public Affairs Council.

Last month, these organisations came together and endorsed the IMC-USA's call for the American Muslim community to observe the second week of Ramzan as 'Gujarat Genocide Remembrance Week', and November 15 as 'Gujarat Genocide Remembrance Day'. 

"On December 6, ten years ago, the world looked the other way as a democracy of millions allowed a few thousand to demolish its most prized possession: a pluralistic and tolerant ethos," said a joint statement issued by the AIMA, IMC-USA and IMRC.

"Hindutva-fascists celebrated this egregious event across India with glee, leading to further victimisation of minorities, particularly Muslims. Since that watershed event, wounds of increasing brutality continue to be inflicted on India's ethos," it said.

The statement also recalled "the worst-ever violence sparked off this year in Gujarat state". It said Human Right Watch and other groups had reported that Hindu extremist groups and the state administration had "joined hands in the violence against Muslims".

"In remembrance of the Babri mosque demolition," it said, "Muslims across India will be observing a subdued Eid-ul-Fitr. Muslims around the world, including the US, will join them through special prayers on the most auspicious of the Islamic holidays."

It called on the Indian government "to honour the promise given by former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao, a day after the mosque was demolished, to rebuild the mosque on its original site and to bring the criminals involved to justice."

The statement also warned that "the rise of Hindutva-fascism in a volatile part of the world that has recently been on the brink of a nuclear exchange is cause for concern for all of us".