British Indian Muslims have urged the British Government to declare the Chief Minister of Gujarat Mr Narendra Modi persona non grata and refuse him visa to enter into Britain.
Modi, who had allowed and supported the ethnic cleansing of Muslims in the state as its Chief Minister in 2002, has reportedly accepted an invitation to address “India Summit 2009” being organised by Dow Jones Financial News in London in May 2009.
In a letter addressed to British Home Secretary Ms Jacqui Smith, Chairman of Council of Indian Muslims—CIM (UK), Mr Mohammad Munaf Zeena said that Modi was responsible for Gujarat genocide and posed danger to inter-communal relations in the UK.
Citing the revocation of Modi’s visa by the US in 2005 as an example the letter reads, “...it is widely believed that following US example in 2005 the British Government had also advised the Indian government to cancel Modi’s trip to London.”
Referring to Genocide Convention 1957, Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court 1998 and “a number of resolutions by the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly” to which Britain is a signatory, the letter emphasises, “United Kingdom is thus obligated under international law to ensure that a person against whom there is evidence that they have committed international crimes is subject to tracing, arrest, trial and if found guilty, to punishment, particularly if he is found in UK soil. Such obligation is even more compelling if victims of the crimes are British citizens — and in this case two members of the Dawood family, both British citizens have been killed.”
The letter also deplores some of the British MPs who have shown support for Modi in the past and says that British Muslims are outraged “...to witness a mass murderer being allowed to be welcomed on British soil and even see the disgusting rather shameless behaviour of 17 British MPs signing an Early Day Motion (EDM) in the House of Commons initiated by Barry Gardiner praising ‘Vibrant Gujarat’. Mr Gardiner followed this up by attending the Vibrant Gujarat summit on January 12-13 last where Modi was hailed as ‘the lion of Gujarat’.
“How justified will British Government’s stand be on asking British Muslims to oppose extremism and terrorism in all forms while allowing a terrorist and a mass murderer to be welcomed on British soil?” It asks.
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Letter to Home Secretary Ms Jacqui Smith
18 March 2009
Rt Honourable Jacqui Smith MP
Home Secretary
Home Office
2 Marsham Street
London SW1P 4DF
Excellency,
We have learnt from the Indian press that Mr. Narendra Modi, the infamous Chief Minister of Gujarat, India, has accepted an invitation to address “India Summit 2009” being organised by Dow Jones Financial News in London in May 2009.
In the wake of worldwide condemnation of the Gujarat genocide during 2002 we are sure you will be well aware of Modi’s complicity as the chief minister of the state in these crimes against humanity. However as a reminder we produce here an excerpt from a BBC commentary that, referring to a leaked report compiled by the British High Commission in New Delhi said:
“A senior British High Commission official in India who reported on these ‘riots’ to the Foreign Office in London wrote: these pogroms ‘had all the hallmarks of ethnic cleansing and that reconciliation between Hindus and Muslims is impossible while the chief minister remains in power.’ And it, ‘far from being spontaneous, was planned, possibly months in advance, carried out by an extremist Hindu organisation with the support of the state government.’” (emphasis added)
Modi’s foot soldiers who raped slaughtered, roasted alive innocent men, women and children, and destroyed Muslims’ properties millions of pounds worth are on record to have brazenly confessed their crimes. (
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=547_1221342026).
We are sure that you will also be aware that two of the victims of the game of fire and blood that was encouraged by Modi were British nationals.
So serious were Modi’s crimes that in 2005, the US government took the unprecedented step, denied him visitor’s visa and revoked his existing diplomatic visas under the International Religious Freedom Act.
Later in 2008 the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (
http://uscirf.gov ) and 30 + US Congress persons issued a call to US State Department to continue the ban on visa to Modi. In its response the State Dept confirmed that it did not plan to reinstate Modi's visa (copies attached).
Madam Home Secretary, it is widely believed that following US example in 2005 the British Government had also advised the Indian government to cancel Modi’s trip to London.
Even in 2005 when Modi visited the UK, we had
requested the Foreign Office to declare him a persona non grata and refuse him a visa. Unfortunately, our request was rejected, despite strong evidences of Modi’s crimes and the danger he posed to racial harmony in the UK. Seven years on now we again find ourselves repeating the same exercise of reminding the British Government that the
United Kingdom is party to the Genocide Convention, 1957 and Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, 1998 that places an obligation to prevent and punish international crimes such as genocide and crimes against humanity. In addition, there are a number of resolutions by the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly generally calling upon all states, to bring to justice those responsible for crimes under international law, including genocide and crimes against humanity. Legal scholars and experts opine that “the application of international law as part of the law of the land means that, subject to the overriding effect of statute law, rights and duties flowing from rules of customary international law will be recognized and given effect by English courts without the need for any specific act adopting those rules into English law”. (Oppenheim’s International Law, 9th edition)
United Kingdom is thus obligated under international law to ensure that a person against whom there is evidence that they have committed international crimes is subject to tracing, arrest, trial and if found guilty, to punishment, particularly if he is found in UK soil. Such obligation is even more compelling if victims of the crimes are British citizens — and in this case two members of the Dawood family, both British citizens have been killed.
We are attaching herewith our
previous correspondence and related documents to prove the enormity of Modi’s crimes and how outraged British Indian Muslims feel to witness a mass murderer being allowed to be welcomed on British soil and even see the disgusting rather shameless behaviour of 17 British MPs signing an Early Day Motion (EDM) in the House of Commons initiated by Barry Gardiner praising ‘Vibrant Gujarat’. Mr Gardiner followed this up by attending the Vibrant Gujarat summit on January 12-13 last where Modi was hailed as ‘the lion of Gujarat’.
Madam Home Secretary, this is vital that in order to fulfil its legal commitment to International law and show sensitivity to the sufferings of Muslims in Gujarat, British Government declare Modi a persona non grata, refuse him visa to visit the UK and avoid the possible danger to racial harmony that his visit might pose.
Further more, how justified will British Government’s stand be on asking British Muslims to oppose extremism and terrorism in all forms while allowing a terrorist and a mass murderer to be welcomed on British soil?
Therefore, we request you, Madam, to declare Modi a persona non grata and tell him clearly and openly that a fascist like him is not welcome in the UK.
Munaf Zeena
Chairman
Enc:
- CIM’s previous correspondence on the issue
- US Commission on International Religious Freedom’s letter
- Amnesty International’s Report on Gujarat
- US Congressmen’s letters on the issue
