NEW DELHI: Pakistan-born Canadian writer Tarek Fatah says he does not need any security in the wake of the arrest of a Chhota Shakeel aide, who was paid to kill him.
The writer is currently in Canada for his health check- ups but he said that he is not scared. "These goons do not scare me. I will turn 68 in November and even if they succeed in killing me, the Muslim fight against (radical) Islamism will continue by others," he told PTI in an email response.
Quoting the Bhagvad Gita and the Quran, he said that he is not afraid of speaking the truth. "The Gita says, 'our right is to keep doing, not to have expectations of a reward'. And the Quran says, 'speak the truth even if it hurts you', so why should I worry? "This is why I don't desire any security, though I always let the police know when threats surface," he said.
Fatah said that he was aware of the threat to his life after a friend informed him, but he said that he was not deterred. "I was aware of this threat after a friend in a Gulf State sent me a recording of a phone call between Chhota Shakeel and a hitman in Mumbai," he added.
Delhi Police's Special Cell arrested Junaid Chaudhary (21) on the intervening night of June 7 and 8 from Wazirabad road in north-east Delhi. Chaudhary was planning to kill the writer, known for his controversial remarks.
Even though Fatah was not in Delhi, the aide was here to carry out a recce and had charged Rs 1.5 lakh for it.