The global rights organizations condemned the ‘aggressive lawsuit’ as an attempt to curtail free speech and free expression exercised by a reputed media house and its readers. The organizations said that the lawsuit, filed against individuals using a law firm, is a tactic to silence public participation and an attempt to drown out voices and views that do not conform with Hindu American Foundation (HAF)’s. The organizations, in a joint letter of support, called the lawsuit a “Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation, or SLAPP suit, to shut down critiques of organizations and ideologies, said the lawsuit hurts the first amendment rights of the American people.
TCN News
Thirty-nine international rights organizations across the globe have condemned the Hindu American Foundation’s (HAF) lawsuit against Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations of North America (FIACONA) chairman John Prabhudoss, Sunita Viswanath and Raju Rajagopal of Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR), Rasheed Ahmed of the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), Prof. Audrey Truschke of Rutgers University, Newark and journalist Raqib Hameed Naik.
On May 7, the Hindu American Foundation filed a lawsuit in US District Court for the District of Columbia against Hindus for Human Rights co-founders Sunita Vishwanath and Raju Rajagopal, Indian American Muslim Council executive director Rasheed Ahmed, Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations of North America chairman John Prabhudoss, and Rutgers University professor Audrey Truschke, and journalist Raqeeb Hameed Naik for defamation and conspiracy to defame HAF. The lawsuit was filed after an investigative report published by Al Jazeera, which accused HAF of misappropriating COVID-19 related Paycheck Protection Program relief funds to support violence and “slow genocide” against Christians and Muslims in India.
“We stand with John Prabhudoss of FIACONA, Sunita Viswanath and Raju Rajagopal of Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR), Rasheed Ahmed of the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), and Prof. Audrey Truschke of Rutgers University, Newark against the attempt, by Hindu American Foundation (HAF), to intimidate and silence them. We also stand with journalist Raqib Hameed Naik against scurrilous attacks against him, and with Al Jazeera against HAF’s attempt to force them to take down articles they have verified and published,” the thirty-nine organizations said in a letter of support.
The global rights organizations condemned the “aggressive lawsuit, filed against these individuals,” as an attempt to curtail free speech and free expression exercised by a reputed media house and its readers.
“The lawsuit, filed against individuals using a law firm, is a tactic to silence public participation and an attempt to drown out voices and views that do not conform with HAF’s,” the organizations said, and termed it a “Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation, or SLAPP suit, to shut down critiques of organizations and ideologies, and hurts the first amendment rights of the American people.”
The global rights organizations offered their “unstinting support of the individuals and organizations being subjected to this harassment.”
“We are fully confident that, during this time of overwhelming crisis in India, no amount of intimidation will stop any of us from working hard on our mission of providing support for and fighting for the rights of all Indians,” the rights organizations said.
They said that the “individuals and organizations under attack will neither back down, nor be derailed or silenced by these efforts. Neither will we.”
The organizations that have expressed support and signed the letter include Alliance of South Asians Taking Action (ASATA), USA, Ambedkar International Center, USA, Ambedkar King Study Circle, USA, Asian American Feminist Collective, USA, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, Philadelphia chapter, USA, Boston South Asian Coalition (BSAC), USA, Brown & Green: South Asians for Climate Justice, Berkeley, CA, USA, Canadians Against Oppression and Persecution (CAOP), Canada, Center for Culture-Centered Approach to Research and Evaluation (CARE), New Zealand, Coalition Against Fascism in India (CAFI), USA, Coalition of Seattle Indian Americans, USA, Dalit Solidarity Forum, USA, Foundation: The London Story, Europe, Friends of India, Texas, USA, Genocide Watch, USA, Global Indian Progressive Alliance, USA, Global Secular Hindu Forum, UK, GreenFaith, International, The Humanism Project, Australia, India Civil Watch International, North America, Indian Solidarity Finland, Finland, International Solidarity for Academic Freedom in India (InSAF), International, Micah Interfaith Council, USA, Muslims for Progressive Values, USA, New Zealanders United to Save the Indian Constitution (NZUSIA), New Zealand, Peace Vigil, USA, People Against Apartheid and Fascism (PAAF), South Africa, Poetic Justice Foundation, Canada, Program Equity, USA, Progressive India Collective, USA, Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus, USA, Scottish Indians for Justice (SIFJ), Scotland, South Asian Left Activist Movement, USA, South Asian Network for Secularism and Democracy (SANSAD), Canada, South Asia Research and Resource Centre (CERAS), Canada, South Asia Solidarity Group, UK, Students Against Hindutva Ideology, USA, Teesri Duniya Theatre, Canada and Voices Against Fascism in India, USA.