VIJAYAWADA: Human Rights Forum (HRF) expressed solidarity with the Muslim women who were targeted by a fake online auction site ‘Bulli Bai’ recently.
Over a hundred Muslim women, mostly activists, journalists and lawyers, were targeted in the most revolting manner. Among them are an activist and a journalist from Hyderabad.
“This is organised pursuing by right-wing trolls of outspoken Muslim women, centered on their gender and religion, to silence them,’’ HRF Andhra Pradesh and Telangana State coordination members VS Krishna and S Jeevan Kumar said in a statement.
They said the app was hosted on the GitHub platform and taken down by them only after a social media outrage. “It is pertinent to recall that a similar app, ‘Sulli Deals,’ surfaced last July and was taken down only after several weeks. Despite FIRs being lodged, the police failed to act against the culprits on that occasion,’’ they alleged.
The perpetrators of this virtual bullying and violent misogyny are clearly bolstered by the impunity that the ruling establishment at the Centre affords them, the HRF members said. “The title of the apps themselves are intended as a disparaging reference to Muslim women. We believe the purpose of this hideous online sexual violence is to humiliate, intimidate and badger the women into silence. These virtual auctions reflect how our digital ecosystem reeks of Islamophobia, denigration of Muslim women and plain bigotry.’’
The forum demanded that the authorities concerned diligently and expeditiously pursue investigation against the purveyors of these hate crimes.