Friends of South Asia
Encyclopedia
Friends of South Asia is a volunteer South Asian American peace activism group based in the San Francisco Bay Area
. The group's stated basic mission is to "achieve a peaceful, prosperous, and hate-free South Asia...work[ing] through people-to-people contacts, dialog, and other non-violent, non-exclusionary means." .
s and Indian American
s, concerned that "the place we call home was full of war cries and that South Asia was on the brink of a war." Members organized candlelight vigils and letter-writing campaigns for peace, initially in collaboration with groups like the Sikh
Qaumantri Punjabi Bhaichara (Punjabi International Friendship) Group of California. The local vigils grew out of a series of vigils for peace in South Asia held simultaneously in 18 cities around the world.
in April 2006 as "a hodgepodge of mostly secular-leaning South Asian Hindus and Muslims—university students, Silicon Valley engineers moonlighting as activists, etc.—who regularly organize local vigils, poetry readings, films and speaker events relating to South Asian issues."
The group advocates against what they term "militarism in India, Pakistan, and the United States." According to a 2006 statement, "We express our deepest disappointment with the recently concluded visit of George Bush to India and Pakistan, and unequivocally condemn the Indo-US nuke deal...The United States' imperial designs in its war on Afghanistan and Iraq and the submission of the Indian and Pakistani governments to go along, is not lost on their people who came out in thousands in both countries to protest against Bush and his agenda."
Friends of South Asia has been involved with several other campaigns, including opposition to the Iraq War, the 2002 Godhra riots
, Pakistani military actions in Balochistan, Pakistan
, and the 2006 bombings in Varanasi, India
, as well as support for victims of the Bhopal disaster
, advocacy for the civil rights of immigrants to the United States, support for the Right to Information
movement, and the proposed expansion of reservations
(quota-based affirmative action) in higher education for members of Indian castes defined as Other Backward Class
es. FOSA has also specifically focused on highlighting art and activism linked to social change movements in Pakistan, including issues like peace with India, ending the Indo-Pak nuclear race, opposition to censorship and ending religious intolerance against the Ahmadiyya
Muslim minority who have been victims of pogroms in Pakistan .
The group holds an annual literary event in August, celebrating the Indian
and Pakistani
Independence days with readings in Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Kannada, Gujarati, and English. Topics have included "South Asian Writings on War and Terrorism," "Revisiting Changing Homelands," and "The Language of Food."
Friends of South Asia was a prominent participant in the Californian Hindu textbook controversy
, in which it joined a number of other groups in petitioning California
's Curriculum Commission to reject allegedly revisionist edits to California's textbook curriculum on Hinduism and India, as suggested by two American Hindu organizations.
FOSA has an informal organizational structure, and a number of members have served as spokespeople. In 2006, during the textbook controversy, graduate student Anupama Mandavilli was a primary spokesperson. Group members have often collaborated with or co-sponsored events with other California
South Asian American anti-communal
organizations like EKTA and the Coalition against Communalism
..
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
. The group's stated basic mission is to "achieve a peaceful, prosperous, and hate-free South Asia...work[ing] through people-to-people contacts, dialog, and other non-violent, non-exclusionary means." .
History
FOSA was founded in December 2001 by a group of nine Pakistani AmericanPakistani American
A Pakistani American is any citizen or resident of the United States who has Pakistani heritage.- History in the United States :Muslim immigrants from areas that are now part of Pakistan have been migrating to America and first entered the United States as early as the eighteenth century, working...
s and Indian American
Indian American
Indian Americans are Americans whose ancestral roots lie in India. The U.S. Census Bureau popularized the term Asian Indian to avoid confusion with Indigenous peoples of the Americas who are commonly referred to as American Indians.-The term: Indian:...
s, concerned that "the place we call home was full of war cries and that South Asia was on the brink of a war." Members organized candlelight vigils and letter-writing campaigns for peace, initially in collaboration with groups like the Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
Qaumantri Punjabi Bhaichara (Punjabi International Friendship) Group of California. The local vigils grew out of a series of vigils for peace in South Asia held simultaneously in 18 cities around the world.
Positions and activities
Friends of South Asia was described by Metro Santa CruzMetro Santa Cruz
Metro Santa Cruz, a free-circulation weekly newspaper published in Santa Cruz, California from 1994 to 2009, was renamed the Santa Cruz Weekly on May 6, 2009...
in April 2006 as "a hodgepodge of mostly secular-leaning South Asian Hindus and Muslims—university students, Silicon Valley engineers moonlighting as activists, etc.—who regularly organize local vigils, poetry readings, films and speaker events relating to South Asian issues."
The group advocates against what they term "militarism in India, Pakistan, and the United States." According to a 2006 statement, "We express our deepest disappointment with the recently concluded visit of George Bush to India and Pakistan, and unequivocally condemn the Indo-US nuke deal...The United States' imperial designs in its war on Afghanistan and Iraq and the submission of the Indian and Pakistani governments to go along, is not lost on their people who came out in thousands in both countries to protest against Bush and his agenda."
Friends of South Asia has been involved with several other campaigns, including opposition to the Iraq War, the 2002 Godhra riots
2002 Gujarat violence
The 2002 Gujarat violence describes the Godhra train burning and resulting communal riots between Hindus and Muslims. On 27 February 2002 at Godhra City in the state of Gujarat, the Sabarmati Express train was attacked by a large Muslim mob in a conspiracy. But some authentic sources deny the claim...
, Pakistani military actions in Balochistan, Pakistan
Balochistan (Pakistan)
Balochistan is one of the four provinces or federating units of Pakistan. With an area of 134,051 mi2 or , it is the largest province of Pakistan, constituting approximately 44% of the total land mass of Pakistan. According to the 1998 population census, Balochistan had a population of...
, and the 2006 bombings in Varanasi, India
2006 Varanasi bombings
The 2006 Varanasi bombings were a series of bombings that occurred across the Hindu holy city of Varanasi in India on Tuesday, 7 March 2006. At least 28 people are reported to have been killed and as many as 101 others were injured.-Blast at the Temple:...
, as well as support for victims of the Bhopal disaster
Bhopal disaster
The Bhopal disaster also known as Bhopal Gas Tragedy was a gas leak incident in India, considered one of the world's worst industrial catastrophes. It occurred on the night of December 2–3, 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India...
, advocacy for the civil rights of immigrants to the United States, support for the Right to Information
Right to Information Act
The Right to Information Act 2005 is an Act of the Parliament of India "to provide for setting out the practical regime of right to information for citizens." The Act applies to all States and Union Territories of India except the State of Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir has its own act...
movement, and the proposed expansion of reservations
Reservation in India
Reservation in India is a form of affirmative action designed to improve the well being of socially backward and underrepresented communities of citizens in India. There are laws in place, wherein a certain percentage of total available slots in Jobs and Education are set aside for people from...
(quota-based affirmative action) in higher education for members of Indian castes defined as Other Backward Class
Other Backward Class
The Central Government of India classifies some of its citizens based on their social and economic condition as Scheduled Caste , Scheduled Tribe , and Other Backward Class . The OBC list presented by the commission is dynamic and will change from time to time depending on social, educational and...
es. FOSA has also specifically focused on highlighting art and activism linked to social change movements in Pakistan, including issues like peace with India, ending the Indo-Pak nuclear race, opposition to censorship and ending religious intolerance against the Ahmadiyya
Ahmadiyya
Ahmadiyya is an Islamic religious revivalist movement founded in India near the end of the 19th century, originating with the life and teachings of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad , who claimed to have fulfilled the prophecies about the world reformer of the end times, who was to herald the Eschaton as...
Muslim minority who have been victims of pogroms in Pakistan .
The group holds an annual literary event in August, celebrating the Indian
Independence Day (India)
The Independence Day of India is celebrated on the fifteenth of August to commemorate its independence from British rule and its birth as a sovereign nation in 1947. The day is a national holiday in India. All over the country, flag-hoisting ceremonies are conducted by the local administration in...
and Pakistani
Independence Day (Pakistan)
Pakistan's independence day is observed on 14 August, the day before Pakistan was made an independent country based on border lines created by the British during the end of their rule of India. Pakistan became an independent country in 1947. The day is a national holiday in Pakistan...
Independence days with readings in Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Kannada, Gujarati, and English. Topics have included "South Asian Writings on War and Terrorism," "Revisiting Changing Homelands," and "The Language of Food."
Friends of South Asia was a prominent participant in the Californian Hindu textbook controversy
Californian Hindu textbook controversy
A controversy in the US state of California concerning the portrayal of Hinduism in history textbooks began in 2005. Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Hindu groups complained that their religions were in part incorrectly or negatively portrayed....
, in which it joined a number of other groups in petitioning California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
's Curriculum Commission to reject allegedly revisionist edits to California's textbook curriculum on Hinduism and India, as suggested by two American Hindu organizations.
FOSA has an informal organizational structure, and a number of members have served as spokespeople. In 2006, during the textbook controversy, graduate student Anupama Mandavilli was a primary spokesperson. Group members have often collaborated with or co-sponsored events with other California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
South Asian American anti-communal
Communalism (South Asia)
This article deals with the use of the word communalism in South Asia, as a name for a force separating different communities based on some form of social or sectarian discrimination...
organizations like EKTA and the Coalition against Communalism
Coalition against Communalism
Coalition against Communalism is a San Francisco Bay area organization formed in 1992 in the wake of the Babri Masjid demolition in Ayodhya, according to its website....
..
Criticism
- 2001: Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir BhuttoBenazir BhuttoBenazir Bhutto was a democratic socialist who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996....
spoke at Stanford UniversityStanford UniversityThe Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in October 2001. According to the Stanford Report, "a handful of protesters who called themselves 'concerned Pakistani students' and 'friends of South Asia' held signs promoting peace and passed out fliers detailing corruption charges against Bhutto -- charges she disputed during her talk."
- 2005: On May 15, 2005, FOSA organized a San Francisco march for peace in support of the 2005 India-Pakistan peace march, with the help of seven local co-sponsors, including the Pakistan American Alliance (PAA). About a week after the event, an anonymous online critic of the Association for India's DevelopmentAssociation for India's DevelopmentThe Association for India's Development, Inc. is a secular charity organization based in the United States which promotes "sustainable, equitable and just development"...
pointed out that the Pakistan American Alliance's website included an image of a man holding a placard reading "Allah will destroy the terrorist state of India" at an October 2004 rally in New York City co-organized by the New York chapter of PAA. FOSA responded by deleting references to the Pakistan American Alliance from their website, and issuing an update stating that they were disturbed by the photo and had been unaware of PAA's politics, which were contrary to their own.
- 2006: In February 2006, Mihir Meghani, president of the Hindu American FoundationHindu American FoundationThe Hindu American Foundation is an American Hindu human rights group advocating on behalf of the Hindu community in the United States. Dr...
was quoted in Silicon ValleySilicon ValleySilicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
newspaper Metroactive saying that "It's pretty well known that they're [FOSA] tied with the Communist Party in India...It's really a ploy to break down and dissemble [sic] Hinduism." Metroactive also reported on an anonymous email received by FOSA, in which the sender threatened to "slaughter" members, singling out those who "use Hindu names and backstab Hindus."
- 2006: In April 2006, FOSA invited Professor Biju Mathew (Rider UniversityRider UniversityRider University is a private, coeducational and nonsectarian university located chiefly in Lawrenceville, in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States...
) to speak at Stanford UniversityStanford UniversityThe Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
about labor organizing among New York City taxi drivers, globalization, and the anti-war movement. The Stanford DailyThe Stanford DailyThe Stanford Daily is the student-run, independent daily newspaper serving Stanford University. The Daily is distributed throughout campus and the surrounding community of Palo Alto, California, United States. It has published since the University was founded in 1892.The paper publishes weekdays...
student newspaper ran an article critical of the planned event, based on an anonymous email claiming that there were simultaneous "Islamist and Communist sympathies within the organization." The anonymous correspondent also claimed that Mathew, a co-founder of the Forum of Indian Leftists (later renamed the Forum of Inquilabi [revolutionary] Leftists to be inclusive of non-Indian members), supported the UnabomberTheodore KaczynskiTheodore John "Ted" Kaczynski , also known as the "Unabomber" , is an American mathematician, social critic, anarcho-primitivist, and Neo-Luddite who engaged in a mail bombing campaign that spanned nearly 20 years, killing three people and injuring 23 others.Kaczynski was born in Chicago, Illinois,...
and other terrorist groups. The article received significant public criticism, and the Stanford Daily swiftly retracted the story and printed apologies in the two subsequent issues, concluding that "FOSA does not have any ties to Communist or terrorist groups...We also apologize to Prof. Biju Mathew for associating him in any way with the Unabomber and other extremist elements." . This apology was due to pressure brought upon the student editors who were provided with all the evidence. Biju Mathew has since removed the link to the Unabomber Manifesto.
- According to a 2007 article by V Sundaram, the book NGOs, Subversive Activists and Foreign Funds- Anti-Nation Industry contains articles describing how FOSA and eight other groups are allegedly engaged in "anti-national activities" directed toward India, which are collectively labeled "Instruments of Hate and Fratricide."