Modi not invited to WEF’s meeting in Davos: Claims of invitation by Modi Government were false propaganda
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 18, 2007
Indian Muslim Council – USA is pleased to announce that WEF has confirmed that it has not invited Narendra Modi. The World Economic Forum (WEF) issued their statement in response to the letters sent to the WEF board that brought their attention to the human rights violations committed by the Narendra Modi Government in the state of Gujarat in India.
Various news sources had reported the claim by the Government of Gujarat that WEF had invited Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister of the state of Gujarat in India, to speak at Davos, Switzerland in January 2008. This news prompted Dr Omar Khalidi of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to initiate an independent campaign urging the WEF Chairman Prof. Klaus Schwab and Board to rescind its invitation to Mr. Modi.
The campaign letter was endorsed by over a hundred academics and professors who are world-renowned experts on India studies in US and Canada. The letter asserted support for India and Gujarat’s economic development, but reminded that Mr. Modi, a politician responsible for human rights violations and violence in India, should not be honored by WEF.
The Communications Director of WEF, Mark Adams, has confirmed that Narendra Modi was not invited. The response from WEF sheds light on the frequent spin and false information used by the Modi Government to create an inaccurate impression of success and progress in Gujarat. Narendra Modi’s crimes against humanity have made him a persona non grata in most of the world and he has had his visa revoked in USA in 2005. He has become a hindrance to the economic and social development in Gujarat.
IMC-USA, an advocacy group dedicated towards promoting peace, tolerance, pluralism and justice in India, commends the decision taken by WEF to not invite Narendra Modi and thanks Dr. Khalidi for his efforts in leading this campaign. IMC-USA would also like to extend its thanks and appreciation to the US academics that had endorsed the letters to the WEF board and communicated this issue to them.
CONTACT:
Syed Ali Rahman
phone: 1-800-839-7270
email: info@imc-usa.org
