Journalist Rana Ayyub threatened with ‘beheading’ by online trolls

The online harassment and trolling of journalist Rana Ayyub continues, with Ayyub posting today a screenshot of comments she received on her Instagram post.

The comments seemed to be in response to Ayyub sharing an Al Jazeera report on the growing popularity of “anti-Muslim songs” in India, whose lyrics contain threats of genocide.

Some of the comments threatened to “behead” Ayyub. In her tweet, she tagged the Mumbai police, the National Commission for Women, and the prime minister’s office.

Ayyub has often been at the receiving end of attacks online (see here and here). In January, she received multiple rape and death threats after criticising the Saudi government’s role in the war in Yemen. She said she had received over 26,000 tweets with threats of violence.

In January, Ayyub was among more than 100 Muslim women displayed for “auction” on an app called Bulli Bai – circulating their photographs and inviting denigrating comments against them.