Women face online rape threats for defending Muslims
New Delhi: Three women have faced rape and death threats online after speaking out on Muslim-related issues, raising concerns over growing hostility and lack of protection for dissenting voices in India.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the incidents involve Soumya from Greater Noida, businesswoman Namita Thapar, and Prof Sumathi from Coimbatore. Soumya intervened on April 16 in Gaur City 2 when a man harassed a Muslim couple, questioning the woman’s hijab.
After she recorded the incident and helped the couple leave, police arrested the accused, Mukesh Kumar. Soumya later said she received rape and gang-rape threats online, with users calling her “anti-religion” and targeting her family.
Namita Thapar faced similar abuse after posting a video on Eid about the health benefits of namaz. She clarified it was from a health perspective but reported three weeks of abuse, including threats to her and her mother. “I spoke about yoga and Surya Namaskar too. Why is it an issue when I talk about another religion?” she said. Prof Sumathi of Kongunadu Arts and Science College wrote an open letter apologizing to Nida Khan over her ordeal in the Nashik TCS scandal.
She too received backlash and threats, as reported by journalist Rana Ayyub. The cases highlight a pattern of online hate and intimidation against women who defend Muslims or express interfaith empathy, amid rising communal hostility.
