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Rana Ayyub, a beacon of hope for Minority voices
8-09-2017
She is young, she is courageous, and she isn’t afraid to speak her mind. In a world where few men would dare questioning the power and authority, she has gone on a head on collision, challenging, one of the largest and most powerful anti-Muslim governments in the world – India’s Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and its leader, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Her name is Rana Ayyub and she is not done yet!
Who is Rana Ayyub and why we must pay attention what she has to say? Well to start, she is a young Muslim journalist from India, who has dared to undertake a project, conducting an undercover sting operation and unmasking the truth along with of a powerful people that were mastermind of pogrom – Muslim Genocide. The list includes senior bureaucrats, police officers, and politicians and much more who were behind this 2002 pogrom. A pogrom carried out in India by then Chief Minister Narendra Modi, of Gujarat, now India’s PM, that resulted in a Muslim Genocide, killing more than 2000 Muslims, and at least one Minister fake encounter by the state police.
It is not a surprise that whenever she is invited by her followers in other countries, Indian government uses its expats in that country to persuade their embassy to not issue her a visa. The highest office holder in India. India’s PM is fearful of her exposing his real face to the world. Yet, she carries on fearlessly to make sure that those who were killed in 2002 pogrom their death does not go in vain.
Her eight month long undercover sting operation, on behalf of her then employer, Tehelka magazine, later decided not to publish the contents. Ever since then, no news agency, magazine, newspaper in the world’s largest democracy, India, has the moral courage to publish her findings. As it uncovers the mindset and leadership of this populist anti-Muslim government and to what extent they are willing to go to harm Muslims.
Just because no one would publish does not mean it can’t be made public. She has compiled her findings in form of a book, “Gujurat Files: An Anatomy of Coverup.”
Suchitra Vijayan, a New York-based barrister, political analyst and writer wrote an opinion in India’s leading newspaper, The Hindu, about Ms. Ayyub’s book. She writes, “The transcripts presented in the book chronicle the violence that preceded the consolidation of power in Narendra Modi’s Gujarat in the aftermath of the anti-Muslim pogrom in 2002, and the numerous encounter deaths that took place between 2002 and 2006. The book tries to pinpoint the role of the bureaucracy and the police who, it shows, through their complicity, tacit collusion, and silence, drove forward with lethal precision and ideological radicalisation the policies of lawlessness.”
Her public speaking events have been cancelled in Doha Qatar, In UAE, most of them buckling under pressure by the Indian government.
If we were to meet her on the street, or in the mall She would strike us as the last person to take on one of the most powerful Prime Minister in the world. However, her deeply held religious convictions is what motivates her to be so fearless. She recently wrote, “I write this today as a Muslim, a practicing Muslim who believes in the tenets of Islam, in Ramzan, in namaz, and I believe I can continue to be liberal and secular while being proud of my faith. The Quran that millions across the world read has the first word revealed to Prophet Mohammed as "Iqra" (read). The Quran I have read has given the world some of the best physicists and mathematicians like Ibn Sina who would probably mock at the theory that the world was flat. The Quran that I read each day during this holy month of Ramzan teaches me empathy and compassion through fasting that helps me relate to those who go without food each night.”
Zara Razaq of Quora, writes, “Rana Ayyub is one of the bravest investigative journalists that currently graces the journalism scene in India.
Ms. Razaq states, “Her credentials - female Muslim journalist taking the powerful head on, by default make her a prime target for virtual nuking by the BJP’s online army.
Her book has received critical acclaim and was amazingly well received not just by general readers but among journalist circles as well for bringing to the fore the power play, communal politics and abuse of authority involved during and post the massacre of Muslims in 2002.
She has remained consistently vocal about criticizing the vile ideology and politics of extremism that the BJP has wreaked on the country and this expression of facts itself makes her one of the most abused personalities online along with many other female journalists like her.
It is no wonder then that there was an attempt to sabotage the rating of her book by the omnipresent army of right wing trolls.
Her book has received critical acclaim and was amazingly received not just by general readers but among journalist circles as well for bringing to the fore the power play, communal politics and abuse of authority involved during and post the massacre of Muslims in 2002.
She has remained consistently vocal about criticizing the vile ideology and politics of extremism that the BJP has wreaked on the country and this expression of facts itself makes her one of the most abused personalities online along with many other female journalists like her.
Additionally, not one of the leaders featured has reacted to the expose or demanded investigation of the information, which contains video files as well.
It is an honour for all of us that such bold and courageous female Muslim journalist is visiting Canada and attending public speaking events. If you would like to know more about her schedule please contact AlAmeen Post at editor@alameen.ca or call 604-715-718.
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