The Institute on Religion and Public Policy, a Washington-based group for religious freedom, is petitioning the State Department to deny Gujarat’s Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s entry to the US to speak at the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) Convention. Garavi Gujarat reports:
The proposed Modi visit comes on the back of an invitation extended to him by the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA). The decision has also divided the organization, with some members arguing that it was a bad move to invite such a controversial figure in the first place. AAHOA, which is dominated by Gujaratis, represents around 60 per cent of the budget and mid-sized hotels in the US.
According to M P Rama, AAHOA`s vice-chairman, the organization had invited Modi from a business perspective, given his interest in inviting foreign investment and interest among AAHOA members in investing in Gujarat.
‘When we invite a speaker we don`t go by political or religious affiliation. We look at how our members might benefit. Most of our members, perhaps up to 95 per cent are Gujaratis and they would like to hear first hand from the chief minister whether the state will offer us red tape or red carpet,” Rama said.
However, some AAHOA members, who did not want to go on record, expressed reservations about the invitation to Modi. One member pointed out that AAHOA was born out of a sense of discrimination Asian hoteliers faced in the United States. The organization should not do anything to dilute its mission statement, he said.
I love Rama’s honesty. “We look at how our members might benefit.” Still, it’s in instances such as this where I wish that higher ideals would win out. For those unfamiliar, the chief minister has been blasted by many groups for his role in Hindu/Muslim violence in the state of Gujarat.In terms of petitioning the State Department, The Hindustan Times and several others detail the following:
In a letter addressed to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the IRPP argues that Modi should be denied a visa in accordance with the US’s International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. It charges him with “repeated engagement in particularly severe violations of religious freedom”.
“Secretary Rice, we ask that you do not allow this egregious violator the privilege of entering the United States,” says the letter written by IRPP’s director of programmes Benjamin Thomas. It says in case Modi already holds a US visa, his entry into the country should be “barred”.
The letter speaks of Modi’s “campaign of extremism targeting religious minorities in Gujarat”, particularly the “orchestrated attacks†of 2002.
As for me, I plan to forward this on to all my Patel friends and have them pressure the AAHOA to rescind the invite. Incidentally, other speakers include Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, MSNBCs Hardball host Chris Mathews and conservative commentator Dinesh DSouza.
If “AAHOA was born out of a sense of discrimination Asian hoteliers faced in the United States”, then indeed it doesn’t make sense to have someone who continuously discriminates against minority businesses on the speaker list of an AAHOA meeting. Good to see that you are taking the initiative to pressure the AAHOA to rescind the invite.
I agree. I am never going to stay in a motel owned by a Gujarati. Not that I stay there anyway. They are unbelievably dirty. Motel 6 is much better than most motels run by Gujaratis. As I mentioned in one of my posts earlier. Most immigrants from India are extremely right wing and have no problems endorsing mass scale violence against minorities in India.
I agree. I am never going to stay in a motel owned by a Gujarati. Not that I stay there anyway. They are unbelievably dirty.
Sigh.
Most immigrants from India are extremely right wing and have no problems endorsing mass scale violence against minorities in India.
I disagree. What evidence of this is there? Usually the more educated a group the less “extremely” right wing they are. I don’t know many “uncles” who endorse communal violence but I do know many that abhor it.
Sure that’s your choice, but how would you know since most hotel owners don’t publicize their ethnicity.
There is always some kernel of truth to certain thoughts, but on a personal note thanks for the insult to me and my family. It is also decidely incongrous thought for someone who links to the ACLU, but that just might be a joke. By the same token then would you say all muslims (sorry I don’t know the ethnic backgrounds that well) are terrorists or “ragheads”? Or that all Sicilians are in the mafia? AAHOA is also multi-generational, i.e. 2nd and 3nd generations running hotels, many having gone to such schools as Cornell, I’m sure that they may a little cleaner for your tastes. I know quite a bit about AAHOA, because one my ex-girlfriends was in the industry. She didn’t like them because they were Gujrati’s also and she was Punjabi, (kind of strange considering she was dating a Gujurati), not because they treated her bad, but because they were majority Gujurati. But she had her own neurotic issues, should I then say all Punjabi’s are neurotic and crazy. But if you want to talk about dirty, why stop the generalization there, why not just all of humanity especially since earth is essentially becoming one big garbage pile from 6 billion people producing at least 4-5 pounds of garbage person.
I’m sure some are and some aren’t. I know at least two of Uncle’s are irrational when it comes to muslims, but I know others that are not.
I agree. I am never going to stay in a motel owned by a Gujarati. Not that I stay there anyway. They are unbelievably dirty.
you were kidding, right?
if not, that lame, generalization-saturated comment unfortunately damns you to irrelevance. sorry to see you “go”.
Shouldn’t that headline read: “Will Modi have a potel to stay at?” ?
I am still looking for a way to write the following headline for a blogpost “Modi for nothing and the chicks for free”
They are dirtier for the price if not dirty per se.
Wow, someone’s definitely irrational about their feelings, I thought you had a thicker skin than that Al.
Has Modi been convited ? No. So you just decide who is good and bad based on some reports ? I hope Modi comes and gives his speech and make you feel uncomfortable.
I can`t comment on the cleanliness of rooms in Gujarati-run hotels.
I`m just wondering why the AAHOA is interested in having Modi as a speaker when the BJP is out of power in Delhi.
Does Modi`s have the power to make serious changes in foreign investment policy in Gujarat?
Please note I know a little about foreign investment policy in India since I wrote a Fulbright proposal which involved the topic. However, I was never an econ or business major at university, so you can school me on the topic 🙂
Basically, I don
t understand why the AAHOA wouldnt try to get a representative from the Congress Party to speak about foreign investment at their convention.I wonder what Dinesh D`Souza will say to the AAHOA;) I wish I could be a fly in that room.
Garavi Gujarat??? This story is lifted lock/stock, quote/shote from Times of India…
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1025481.cms
Misca, Many news organizations print identical articles on their websites. More than likely the article originated from some large news service like Reuters or AP.
Patel you stated “Has Modi been convited ? No. So you just decide who is good and bad based on some reports ?” I would refer you to http://www.hrw.org/reports/2002/india/India0402-03.htm#P384_67492 but you will turn around and tell me that Human Rights Watch is a Western Imperialist Conspiracy to malign the ‘greatness’ of Mother India. On a side note, for anyone who is interested in the why the women were specially victimized in the riots http://www.hrw.org/reports/2002/india/India0402-03.htm#P527_94439 there’s a very good article on the obsession of the Right Wing in India with what they consider the uber virility of indians muslims by Martha Nussbaum at http://www.bostonreview.net/BR29.3/nussbaum.html
BTW, in addition to your comments on AAHOA, you might as well check about IIRPP. This organization is just a pseudo front end of the U.S. evangelists. I remember seeing a program on French TV, apparently IIRPP supports evagelists work (which is even opposed by the catholics and orthodox Church here).
Al Mujahid
“Most immigrants from India are extremely right wing and have no problems endorsing mass scale violence against minorities in India”
Sorry buddy, but you are wrong, and actually pretty prejudiced yourself.
sluggo
“She didn’t like them because they were Gujrati’s also and she was Punjabi, (kind of strange considering she was dating a Gujurati)”
LoL
Dont worry, we are all like that, it would be strange if she wasnt like that.
The Gujarati/Punjabi relationship is always is a good one. I dont know why, but Gujaratis and Punjabis always seem to get on really well.
Punjabi Boy, I dont know how many immigrants from India have you met. If you would meet a few, you will know what I am talking about.
Regarding cleanliness of Gujarati owned motels, I would say they range all over the place like other motels.
I have seen good ones, OK ones, and bad ones. Heck, many of the motels you stay at are Gujarati owned, but you wouldn’t even know it. Just because an Indian/Gujarati is not working behind the counter or in the motel does not mean it is not Gujarati owned.
I know several people who have multiple motel properties and manage them, they don’t literally run them.
There is a segment of the population that seems to have a very narrow view, however making a generalization about those Gujaratis is quite ignorant. A minority of Muslims are extremists and the same can be said with the Gujarati community. Doesn’t make any side better/worse than the other, simply those are the facts.
Also, just as other communities there are varying levels of how far you would push such prejudice.
Having said this, Modi like every iron fisted/demi-dictator has got the government’s act together on the public works side (organized), but has also run amok and violated the principles of a federally governed democratic republic.
As people have told me, everyone is scared shitless of him, therefore people do their jobs.
He can rot in hell.
Al Mujahid
Are you up for the assertion that every Muslim immigrant to America is (a) Dirty and (b) a rabid foaming at the mouth fanatic who dreams of eating Jews and cutting womens heads off and killing as many dirty infidels as possible?
If you can see what I am getting at then you know what you mean.
Al is a knucklehead for generalizing, his hate filled thoughts are the seeds to a mass genocide. I am sure the people who pereprtrated the massacares probaby had the exact same words on their tongues twenty years ago (switch some nouns a bit)…
My last name is also Mujahid (my first name is not Real) and I am Muslim, from Pakistan. And I condemn/deny what Al has posted. Peace!!
What is this crap about Gujarati hotels and other hotels. Apart from the obvious prejudice of some people here, there’s also a lot of ignorance. The odds are very, very high that if you stay in a motel in the US, it’s a Gujarati motel. SIXTY per cent of mid-sized US hotels and motels are owned by Indians (and one-third of them are called Patel).
I know a white American man from California who can’t aim and forgets to flush, a white couple from Virginia who let their toddler dip her toothbrush in the toilet (and then use it, and this is every day, not a one-time thing), a white woman from Michigan who didn’t clean up till the next day when a drunk friend threw up in her house. Some PEOPLE are dirty, other PEOPLE are clean. Grow up, get used to it — people are the same everywhere.
Oh, and I agree with “blank” — Modi is a bigot and a destroyer of peace and justice, and deserves to rot in hell! I’m so happy that he has been denied visas to enter the US.
Al dude you’re such a hypocrite man! I though you were better than this. All gujju’s are dirty, all immigrants are right wing… I don’t see how you thats different from Modi’s “all muslims are rogues”.
And I am a gujju and an immigrant from India, FYI, and I’m actually in a huge majority as far as my beliefs are concerned amongst all the immigrants I’ve met.