The United States Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), one of the highly deplorable bodies masquerading as champions of religious freedom has been in the news for quite some time. While the instance of the release of its annual report made it to the headlines, another event that is about to happen hasn’t grabbed much attention. Probably it is meant to be that way. This event is much more problematic than the release of the report.

The USCIRF along with professors affiliated with the University of California at Davis, Butler University, St. Michael’s College at Toronto, and Elon University have planned to conduct a seemingly Hindu-phobic conference at the University of Madras delusively titled “Conference in the Study of Religions of India”. This is yet another attempt by the body to attack India and Hinduism that could have serious repercussions on the pluralistic ethos of our country.

The conference is scheduled to happen between July 21 – 24, 2020 if the ensuing lockdown due to the pandemic eases.

The convener of this Hinduphobic conference is James Ponniah belonging to the Department of Christian Studies who also happens to be a priest of the Diocese of Sivagangai.

The co-convener is one Mr. Brian Pennington belonging to Elon University, which was started as a Christian university. Other organizers include Chad Bauman of Butler University, another Christian university which houses the Christian Theological Seminary and also offers joint programmes with it. CTS states its mission as “to form disciples of Jesus Christ for church and community leadership to serve God’s transforming of the world”.  It also goes on to say that “CTS is a sanctuary that welcomes both peacemakers and troublemakers”. Another person listed as an organizer is Reid Locklin of St. Michael’s College at Toronto, a Roman Catholic college.

The previous edition of the supposedly academic conference took place at the University of California at Davis. The webpage carried boldly calling for papers against Hinduism, that read, “We invite proposals representing a range of disciplinary and methodological approaches that focus on dishonesty, trickery or concealment by or by means of religious texts, practices, institutions, and individuals. Possible topics could include the changeable appearance of deities, religious charlatans, the question of the authenticity or inauthenticity of religious practices or entities, the theological concept of māyā, issues of religious identity such as hidden or false conversions, the elaborate ploys and deceptions of the Epics, secrecy, etc.” No other university in history had spewed such venom against another religion.

The mischievous intention of USCIRF

The USCIRF has its origins in the foreign policy agenda of the American establishment post 1945.

After the Second World War, American Universities started churning out literature attacking other cultures under the garb of South Asian Studies, African Studies, etc. The USCIRF was created as an exclusive body with the aim of targeting India and furthering Christianity.

Converting the indigenous population and killing their diverse ethnic culture has proven to be a tried and tested way to subjugate other nations and ensure their compliance, as they, upon changing their religious affiliations, turn into passive supporters of western foreign policy.

Thus, it is conspicuous that there is something larger is at play that is to happen through these conferences – an attempt at changing the religious demography of the country.

The hypocrite that USCIRF is

Interestingly, a document from the Congressional Record exposes the hypocritical nature of the body. Responding to a discrimination claim filed by a former employee, the Commission had argued that the USCIRF, an entity created by Congress to promote religious freedom, was not subject to Civil Rights Act of 1964, and hence it could discriminate against employees on the basis of religion without sanction. .

This is substantiated by the fact that not one Hindu has been made commissioner of this entity while every other minority has been represented in the past.

In another instance related to the same complaint filed by the former employee the USCIRF had defended Switzerland’s move to ban minarets on mosques and France’s moves to ban headscarves saying that “Switzerland had the right to resist the Islamification of Christian nations”.

Does USCIRF even have an iota of shame? If it had, it wouldn’t preach religious freedom, that too to a country like India.

Hiding behind ‘academic freedom ‘

Just as it uses the term “religious freedom” selectively on select countries, the term “academic freedom” is used by it to hide from its racist, bigoted and communal narratives.

The USCIRF is nothing but a body of Christian Crusaders, waging a religious war stealthily on native religions and cultures.

It is high time that the Government of India cancels the permission given to this conference of religious bigots. The reason stated should make it very clear that it is not because of the pandemic that they are being denied permission but because they are a pandemic who are no longer welcome in India.

Wake up, before it is too late!