Indian Muslim American group stand in solidarity with African Americans, urge police reforms: Statement

News: The Indian American Muslim Council has released a statement in support of the African American community, condemning police brutality, in reaction to the most recent publicised act of racism- the death of George Floyd.

Here are five components of the story:

• The IAMC is the largest advocacy group of Indian Muslims outside of India. In their own words, they are, “dedicated to safeguarding India’s pluralist and tolerant ethos.”
• In their statement, the IAMC calls for accountability of the police officers involved in the killing of George Floyd, police reforms through structural changes in the system, and non-violence and communication.
• They further refer to the shared experience of oppression that they face as communities in India, including the Muslims, Christians and the Dalits face systemic violence and oppression, and say that their struggle is the same, the struggle for identity, equal rights and fair treatment of the marginalised.
• India has seen many acts of oppression of communities on the basis of religion, class and caste over the decades. These have culminated in a wide uprising and voicing of dissent against such systemic violence in the recent years due to the spread of extreme Hindutva politics and hate speech.
• The death of George Floyd is not the first act of racist police brutality, and there have been many others in the days after this incident of violence. However, the videographic evidence that shows both compliance on the part of Floyd and extreme violence and agency on the part of the police have sparked a serious uprising across the United States and worldwide.