‘We can change our mind’: US religious freedom panel chair ‘open for dialogue’ with RSS days after sanctions call
Asif Mahmood said that the goal of the USCIRF wasn't to “go and hurt anybody” but to “do good for the people who are repressed in that country and society”.
Dr Asif Mahmood, head of the US religious freedom panel, has expressed openness to dialogue with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat, days after calling for sanctions against the organization. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), a federal agency, had previously urged sanctions on the RSS ahead of Bhagwat's upcoming visit to the US.
Now, Mahmood has said that he would be open to a sit-down with Bhagwat if the opportunity arose. He emphasized that the goal of the USCIRF is not to "hurt anybody" but to "do good for the people who are repressed in that country and society." The USCIRF, a bipartisan body, monitors religious freedom worldwide and issues nonbinding policy recommendations.
Bhagwat, who is currently on a visit to the US, was scheduled to speak at an event in New York City on Saturday.
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