The Human Rights Forum (HRF), through a statement on Tuesday, condemned the “auction” of Muslim women by the right wing trolls through an online platform, and expressed solidarity with the victims.
Over 100 women journalists, activists and others active on social media have been targeted through a fake online auction site ‘Bulli Bai’, similar to another app ‘Sulli Deals’ which surfaced in June last year, the statement noted, and said it was “organised pursuing” by right wing trolls of outspoken Muslim women centred on their gender and religion.
“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 level of depravity is truly shocking,” the statement said, and called upon authorities concerned to diligently and expeditiously pursue investigation against the purveyors of the crimes and ensure prosecution.
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HRF has also called upon the digital spaces such as GitHub where the apps were hosted, to ensure that their platforms are not used for targeted harassment.