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web based platform or service throughout the country of India based on the
plaintiff's constitutionally protected political and human rights related activities,
whether on behest of the Government of India or on its own; including but not
limited to:
- running a campaign on Facebook against increasing human rights
violations against religious minorities of India since election of Indian Prime
Minister Narendra Modi in May 2014 specifically forced conversions of Christians
and Muslims to Hinduism through the "Homecoming" scheme;
- running a campaign on Facebook exposing PM Modi's involvement in
massacre of Muslims in the Indian State of Gujarat during 2002 which caused a
ban, from 2005 till 2014, on Modi's entry to the United States under International
Religious Freedom Act of 1998;
- running a campaign on Facebook advocating "right to self determination"
as guaranteed by UN Charter and International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights, for the Sikh people of the Indian state of Punjab;
- launching and a campaign demanding that India should hold an
independence referendum in the state of Punjab under UN Charter;
- campaigning on Facebook about Article 25 of the Constitution on India
which labels "Sikhs" as "Hindus" and undermines the separate and status of
Sikhism as district religious identity of the Sikh community.
Civil Complaint
SFJ v. Facebook Inc.
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The above and other campaigns run and launched by the plaintiff through its
Facebook Page aimed at exposing India with regard to the plight of religious
minorities and denial of Sikhs' right to self determination and demand for
independence referendum in the Indian occupied Punjab, prompted the defendant
to block access to plaintiff's Facebook page in India, on its own or on the behest of
the Government of India.
I. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
India is a country of over 1.2 billion people with Hindus as a majority while
Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Budhists and others being vulnerable minorities.
http://www.ibtimes.com/hindu-nationalists-historical-links-nazism-fascism-214222
Civil Complaint
SFJ v. Facebook Inc.
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identity2. While Sikhs, one of the religious minorities of India, has been stripped off
its religious identity through Article 25(b)3 of the Constitution of India4 which
labels "Sikhs" as "Hindus", Christian and Muslim communities are being targeted
by BJP and RSS with new zeal ever since Modi became Prime Minister, to
accomplish its agenda of turning India into a "Hindu" nation. On August 11, 2014
RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat unequivocally announced his party's agenda by stating
that, "The entire world recognizes Indians as Hindus therefore India is a Hindu
state5". In December 2014, RSS launched a nation-wide campaign called "The
Home Coming" to forcibly convert Christians and Muslims to Hindus6 resulting
into engulfing of thousands of members of religious minorities into "Hindu fold".
Sikhism is the 5th largest religion with 28 million followers throughout the
world. Sikhs in India comprise 1.8 % of the total population with majority living in
the Indian occupied Punjab. Founded in 15th Century by Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji,
Sikhism is a separate religion, with its own distinct set of faith and principles,
religious book (Sri Guru Granth Sahib), rituals and practices. It is undisputed
2
Civil Complaint
SFJ v. Facebook Inc.
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historical fact that since its inception, Sikhism has been recognized as a separate
religion in its own standing except in post-colonial India where Article 25 of the
Indian Constitution labels "Sikhs" as "Hindus".
Since 1984, Sikh community living in Punjab and elsewhere has become
more vocal in demanding their right to self determination and seeking for the
creation of sovereign country in the State of Punjab. In retaliation to Sikhs' demand
for secession and sovereignty on the basis of separate religious identity, Indian
government launched a military attack on the holiest Sikh shrine The Golden
Temple in June 1984 resulting in desecration of the Sikh Vatican and death of
thousands of pilgrims. In November 1984, after assassination of PM Indira Gandhi
by her two Sikh bodyguards, another organized genocide of Sikhs was carried out
throughout India resulting in death of over 30,000 Sikhs and displacement of over
300,000. From 1984 to 1998 over 100,000 Sikhs were extra judicially and
summarily killed by the security forces in the state of Punjab to curb the Sikh
movement for independence.
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II. PARTIES
Defendant Facebook, Inc. is a corporation organized and existing under the laws
of the state of Delaware with its principle place of business in Palo Alto,
California. The defendant runs a social media portal/service by the name
Facebook.
Civil Complaint
SFJ v. Facebook Inc.
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III.
The United States District Court has subject matter jurisdiction of this action
pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 1331.
The United States District Court has supplemental jurisdiction pursuant to 28
U.S.C. 1367 over Plaintiffs claims under Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,
as amended (42 USC Section 2000a, et seq.) and the California Unruh Civil Rights
Act (California Civil Code 51, et seq.).
Venue is proper in the Northern District pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 1391 (b)-(c) and
1441 (a).
The Northern District of California is the venue required for disputes pursuant to
Defendant Facebook, Inc.s Terms of Agreement.
Defendant Facebook, Inc. has been doing business in California, including the
Northern District of California. Facebook, Inc. is subject to jurisdiction in this
District. This Court has personal jurisdiction over Defendant.
The applicable statutes of limitations have not yet lapsed in this action.
IV.
FACTS
In or around the first week of May 1, 2015, the plaintiff learnt the contents
of the Plaintiff's Facebook Page, a known human rights advocacy group advocating
for fairness, equality, and self-determination of an oppressed religious minority in
Civil Complaint
SFJ v. Facebook Inc.
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Civil Complaint
SFJ v. Facebook Inc.
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Civil Complaint
SFJ v. Facebook Inc.
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Civil Complaint
SFJ v. Facebook Inc.
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