Veerender Jubbal, a Canadian Sikh, became the target of an online hate campaign after a Spanish newspaper published a photograph of his claiming he was one of the terrorists behind the Paris attacks. He published evidence of the original photograph, which had been edited using photo-editing software to show him carrying a Quran and wearing a suicide vest.
He explained his predicament through a series of tweets:
You can all check the last retweets.Let us start with basics.Never been to Paris.Am a Sikh dude with a turban.Lives in Canada.
— Veerender Jubbal (@Veeren_Jubbal) >November 14, 2015
This image has been used, and placed on the front page of a major Spain newspaper--putting me as one of the people behind terrorist attacks.
— Veerender Jubbal (@Veeren_Jubbal) >November 15, 2015
Citizens around the world have rallied to his support:
Portraying >@Veeren_Jubbal as a terrorist puts his life at risk, ruins his reputation. This is online terrorism. >pic.twitter.com/U5bJYCnIsC
— Amy (@AmyStephen) >November 15, 2015