India: Muslim women journalists, activists, and other professionals sexually targeted online. CFWIJ demands accountability of those responsible.

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July 13, 2021, New Delhi- A website targeting Muslim women including those in the news media industry was discovered earlier this month and was eventually taken down after public outrage. The website, titled “Sulli Deals” consisted of profiles of at least 90 different women who were “on sale”. Men would subsequently “bid” on these profiles to harass the women. Although a comprehensive list of all women on the site has not been made public in order to ensure the privacy of those targeted, several women have come out in condemnation. Among them was ThePrint’s Senior Correspondent Fatima Khan whose profile was up on the website.

The outrage against “Sulli Deal” immediately became widespread after a Twitter user who goes by “K” tweeted about its presence. 

 “Sulli” is a slur used by right-wing Hindus against Muslim women, and the website is believed to be an organized effort to harass the women of Muslim community in India by right-wing Indian trolls. While most of the women mentioned on the website were Indian, it also included several Pakistani names. Freelance political commentator Zainab Sikander Siddiqui and journalist Fatima Khan of ThePrint India were among those targeted. Fatima took to Twitter to register her shock at the incident.

Soon after, the Editor Guild of India came out to condemn the incident. The statement issued by the organization claimed that, “The vile attack is symptomatic of underlying misogyny in some sections of society especially against Muslim women as well as those who have been outspoken critics of the current government.”

host. In a statement given to ThePrint, a company spokesperson clarified that, “GitHub has longstanding policies against content and conduct involving harassment, discrimination, and inciting violence. We suspended user accounts following the investigation of reports of such activity, all of which violate our policies.”

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is appalled at the incident and demands an immediate investigation initiated against those behind the website. This is blatant misogyny combined with deep seated Islamophobia. It reprehensibly targets one of the most politically vulnerable groups in India. The connection of such behaviour to the current of the rhetoric of the Indian state cannot be ignored. While it is obvious until now that no state official endorsed this incident, it is equally true that recently the Indian state has allowed right wing extremists to act with complete impunity in the region putting the safety of religious and other minorities at considerable risk. As equal citizens of the state, Muslim women have a right to dignity and security and the state must ensure these rights if it wishes to retain its claim on the democratic principles.