US Representative Ilhan Omar’s resolution on India

Context

Ilhan Omar, a representative from the US Congress, introduced a resolution on June 22 to condemn human rights violations in India, specifically those targeting Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, Adivasis, and “other religious and cultural minorities”.

About

The resolution urges the US Secretary of State to declare India as a 'Country of Particular Concern' under the International Religious Freedom Act.
In severe circumstances, such an action may result in economic consequences.
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), a consultative government organization, has recommended this status for the previous three years.
There are three co-sponsors of the resolution.
Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian-American Congresswoman from Michigan, is part of a group known as 'the Squad', a Left-wing cohort inside the Democratic Party, together with Omar. They are the first 2 Muslim women elected to the House.
Another co-sponsor is Jim McGovern, a Massachusetts congressman who is a member of the Democratic Progressive Caucus in the House and co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, a nonpartisan House caucus.
The 3rd co-sponsor is Juan Vargas, a California congressman who, after graduation, joined the Jesuits serving in El Salvador, and served in the California State Senate before being elected to the House in 2012.

Who is Ilhan Omar?

Omar represents the Democratic Party in the United States Congress.
She was raised in Somalia and arrived in the United States as a refugee at the young age of 13, fleeing the Somali Civil War.
In November 2016, Omar ran for office and became the first Somali-American legislator in the United States. She is also the first hijab-wearing woman to serve in Congress.

What is the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)?

USCIRF is an independent agency established by the American government to "monitor a fundamental right to freedom of religion or belief abroad — not in the United States — using international norms to do so and makes policy recommendations to the President, Secretary of State, and Congress".
Its recommendations are non-binding.
In recent years, it has criticized the Indian government's treatment of minority faith groups, the Citizenship Amendment Act, and the lynching of Tabrez Ansari in June 2019, calling on the Indian government to "take concrete actions that will prevent this kind of violence"

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