Jamat-e-Islami linked Indian American Muslim Council gives cash prizes to ‘journalists’ from Wire, Newslaundry, Scroll Caravan, etc. for peddling its narrative

23^rd June 2022 : The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), a radical Islamist group that has alleged links with banned terror organisations such as the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and has a long history of lobbying against India, has distributed cash prizes to ‘journalists’ from The Wire, News Minute, Newslaundry and other publications for furthering its cause.

In its annual Human Rights and Religious Freedom Journalism (HRRF) Awards, the IAMC, which claims to be the ‘largest advocacy organisation of Indian Muslims in the US’ and often advocates for Sharia courts and peddles misinformation against India has declared prize money worth lakhs for some of its favourite ‘journalists’.

The shortlisted names for various cash prizes included Shahid Tantray of The Caravan Magazine, Aishwarya S Iyer of Scroll, Ismat Ara from The Wire, Sumedha Mittal from The Caravan, Naomi Barton from The Wire, Priyanka Thirumurthy of The News Minute and Akanksha Kumar of Newslaundry, etc.

In the ‘Best text reporting on human rights and religious freedom’ category, the winner is Newslaundry’s Akanksha Sharma, whose highlighted stories were mostly about the UP conversion racket mastermind Umar Gautam.

The Wire’s Ismat Ara, who was recently viral on social media for her ‘story’ of a tea seller named Manaf, who allegedly hurried to take her to buy sanitary pads when she suddenly got her periods, is one of the winners in the ‘young journalist of the year’ category, along with Scroll’s Aishwarya S Iyer.

All the awards have been given to media stories that peddle the cause of Islamist, pro-Pakistani narrative that claims Muslims in India are being terrorised under the Modi government.

US-based journalist and producer of the show ‘Democracy Now’ Amy Goodman was the keynote speaker at the award event, while British journalist Yvonne Ridley said “India has become one of the dangerous places for journalists to write critically about certain aspects of India including the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Narendra Modi”, in her speech, as per the IAMC website.

Jamat-e-Islami linked Indian American Muslim Council gives cash prizes to ‘journalists’ from Wire, Newslaundry, Scroll Caravan etc for peddling its narrativehttps://t.co/Vkk9869awC

— OpIndia.com (@OpIndia_com) June 23, 2022

What is IAMC and what does it do ?

The IAMC is a Jamat-e-Islami-backed lobbyist organisation claiming to be a rights advocacy group. In the past, it had reportedly collaborated with and had even paid money to various groups in the USA to get India blacklisted by the USCIRF (United States Commission on International Religious Freedom). A detailed report by Disinfo Lab has exposed its links with terror outfit Jamaat-e-Islami.
IAMC founder Shaik Ubaid and member Abdul Malik Mujahid have headed the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), the US front for Jamaat-e-Islami, Pakistan. According to DisInfo Lab, ICNA has established links with Pakistan-based terror groups like the Lashkar-e-Taiba. Rasheed Ahmed, who heads the IAMC currently was the former executive director of the Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA). IMANA’s director of Operations is Zahid Mahmood an ex-Pak Navy official.

IAMC had been caught spreading fake news and misinformation to further the Islamist cause in India. It had also been slapped with the UAPA (Unlawful Activities [Prevention] Act) in 2021. It has also been lobbying against the proposed Uniform Civil Code in the state of Uttarakhand.

Receiving foreign contribution/hospitality by media correspondents/columnists, cartoonists, editors, and owner of media houses is prohibited as per the ‘Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010’. Section 3(1) of the Act clearly states that no foreign contribution shall be accepted by any individual (correspondent, columnist, cartoonist, editor, owner), company or association engaged in the production or broadcast of audio news or audiovisual news or current affairs programs through any electronic mode, or any other electronic form.

The IAMC had reportedly collected funds for the cause of Rohingya Muslims and used it to pay Fidelis Government Relations (FGR), a US-based lobby firm for getting India blacklisted by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

Editorial Viewpoint

It comes as no surprise that this Council is rewarding anti-National and anti-Hindu journalists and organisations ! Now we know about an extensive conspiracy to disturb peace in India ! The Indian Government must take stringent action against them.