Sufi Islamic Board Condemns USCIRF 2026 Report, Plans UN Challenge, Says USCIRF Has History Of Biased Assessments On India

Mumbai: The Sufi Islamic Board (SIB) has strongly criticised the 2026 annual report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), rejecting its recommendation to impose sanctions on Indian institutions including the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). 

The Mumbai-based organisation described the recommendation as a form of “sovereign interference” and announced that it intends to challenge the report at the United Nations. 

In a press statement issued on March 15, the SIB said the report’s call for economic and diplomatic sanctions against Indian entities was “unprecedented and highly dangerous”. According to the Board, the recommendations were influenced by “partisan North American diaspora organisations”, including Hindus for Human Rights, and represented what it termed a coordinated campaign to undermine India’s legal and cultural institutions. 

The Board further alleged that the USCIRF has a history of biased assessments regarding India. It referred to a petition it had submitted in July 2024 criticising the commission’s interpretation of Indian laws such as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, the Citizenship Amendment Act and anti-conversion legislation. According to the SIB, the 2026 report continues to rely on “ideologically driven data” while overlooking the complex realities of religious tensions in South Asia. 

Representing Muslims who follow the Sufi tradition, the SIB emphasised that its work focuses on promoting interfaith harmony and countering radicalisation. The Board warned that portraying the Indian state as inherently hostile to minorities could inadvertently embolden extremist groups, including the banned Popular Front of India, by providing rhetorical support for anti-state narratives. 

The organisation also expressed concern over the report’s suggestion that the United States consider designating India as a “Country of Particular Concern” and imposing sanctions on RAW. It argued that such a move could weaken international counter-terrorism cooperation, particularly in efforts to combat networks linked to groups such as Islamic State Khorasan Province and Al-Qaeda.

The SIB stated that it would formally challenge the findings of the USCIRF report at the United Nations, as it had done previously in 2024. It urged the United States government and the international community to reject the report’s recommendations and respect India’s sovereignty while supporting efforts to maintain communal harmony and counter extremism.