India: Journalist Rana Ayyub Hit With Thousands Of Rape, Death Threats
Location: India, New Delhi
Date: January 27, 2022
Senior journalist Rana Ayyub was hit with a barrage of rape and death threats as yet another campaign of misinformation was started against her. A fresh wave of online violence was launched at Rana after she expressed solidarity with Yemen and criticized Saudi Arabia. The campaign dubbed her a “terrorist sympathizer” which led to roughly 25,000 Twitter posts threatening the journalist.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is extremely concerned for Rana’s life and well-being. his is not the first time that Rana has been targeted with deeply gendered and vile abuse online. With space for both minorities and independent journalists rapidly shrinking in India, Rana has been subjected to online violence and physical threats multiple times in recent years. We stand in solidarity with Rana and laud her for standing tall in the face of persistent abuse. We call on the authorities and Twitter to immediately identify the perpetrators of online violence against the journalist and ensure her safety.
Shortly after Rana posted on Twitter calling the intention of the international community to “the genocide” of the Yemeni people, yet another misinformation campaign was launched against her. Matters escalated to the point that thousands of tweets were directed at Rana, threatening her with rape and death.
According to the journalist, most of the hateful tweets directed her way were by Indian right-wing accounts and Saudi nationalists.
26.4 thousand tweets, most are abusive, rape and death threats, calling me a terror sympathiser. Most tweets are by the Indian right wing & Saudi nationalists who are attacking me after i posted a tweet in solidarity with Yemen and calling out the Saudis. Hello @TwitterIndia pic.twitter.com/Cd1880betW
— Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) January 24, 2022
Yemen is bleeding and there is nobody to stop the bloodthirsty Saudis. These are people who call themselves the custodians of Islam. As a Muslim I am ashamed that these savages are guardians of the holy mosque. The world CANNOT stay silent thru this genocide #YemenUnderAttack
— Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) January 22, 2022
In one of the tweets posted by Rana, she wrote that Yemen is bleeding and there is nobody to stop “the bloodthirsty Saudis”. She urged the global community to not remain silent in the face of genocide.
This is not the first time Rana has been attacked and threatened because of her work. In recent years, the senior journalist has faced online and physical harassment for her coverage of Kashmir, the farmers’ protests and Covid-19. In an opinion published by The Washington Post this month, Rana wrote “I would be lying if I said it hasn’t affected me, that I’ve been able to simply brave on". She wrote that she has been forced to rethink her career and has considered leaving journalism altogether given all the abuse she faces.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the online harassment and misinformation campaigns against journalist. We stand with Rana Ayyub and call for her protection and safety. The various violations and threats Rana has faced due to her reportage have been well documented. The CFWIJ has reported extensively on the matter as have other local and international rights groups. However, the Indian authorities have thus far taken negligible action to ensure Rana’s safety. Online violence can quickly manifest into physical violence and dubbing Rana, a Muslim journalist, a “terrorist sympathizer” puts her safety at risk in India’s current climate.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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