Author and progressive Muslim commentator Tarek Fatah, who did not mince his words calling out the dangers posed by the radical strand of Islam, breathed his last on 24 April 2023. While his admirers and fans are mourning, some Islamists took to social media to express their glee over his demise.
Fatah’s death was announced by his daughter, Natasha Fatah, on Twitter. In a tweet, Natasha said, “Lion of Punjab. Son of Hindustan. Lover of Canada. Speaker of truth. Fighter for justice. Voice of the downtrodden, underdogs, and the oppressed. @TarekFatah has passed the baton on… his revolution will continue with all who knew and loved him. Will you join us? 1949-2023”
Lion of Punjab.
— Natasha Fatah (@NatashaFatah) April 24, 2023
Son of Hindustan.
Lover of Canada.
Speaker of truth.
Fighter for justice.
Voice of the down-trodden, underdogs, and the oppressed.@TarekFatah has passed the baton on… his revolution will continue with all who knew and loved him.
Will you join us?
1949-2023 pic.twitter.com/j0wIi7cOBF
No sooner did Natasha tweet about his father’s demise, a host of Islamists descended upon her Twitter timeline to rejoice over the death of Fatah, who made no bones about his contempt for the puritanical interpretation of Islam and often laid into fundamentalists, in his inimitable style, exposing their hypocrisy and evoking laughter among his fans.
A Twitter user used cuss words to run down Fatah’s daughter over her eulogising tweet to her father.
Yet another Islamist referred to Tarek Fatah as a ‘pig’ while quoting his daughter’s tweet confirming her father’s death.
Yet another Islamist Fatah appeared to draw sadistic pleasure from the death of Tarak Fatah. He said Fatah died a painful death suffering from cancer and that everything will perish but only the name of Allah shall prevail.
“Finally,” tweeted another Islamist with the username ‘Aurangzeb’, the infamous Mughal tyrant known for persecuting Hindus and pursuing an aggressive religious conversion campaign, killing those who refused to convert to Islam.
The euphoria among Islamists was not limited to Twitter alone. On Facebook too, Islamists could not help but express their glee over the death of a man they deeply despised.
The Times of India posted on its official Facebook page the death of author and columnist Tarek Fatah.
While most of his supporters and fans poured in expressing their commiserations over his death, Islamists, on the other hand, responded to the death of Tarek Fatah with laughing emojis.
Who was Tarek Fatah and what earned him the ire of Islamists?
Tarek Fatah was born on November 20, 1949, in Karachi, Pakistan. He was a leftist student movement leader during the late 1960s and 1970s. During these decades, he was imprisoned twice by Pakistan’s successive military rules. General Zia-ul Haq charged him with sedition in 1977 and prevented him from working as a journalist in the country. He went to Canada in 1987 and worked as a journalist ever since.
He was very proud of his Indian origins. He often told in his interviews that he hailed from a Rajput family that was forcibly converted to Islam in the 1840s. He identified himself as a Hindustani born in Pakistan. He was a staunch critic of Islamic fanaticism. Therefore, he was often attacked by Muslims across the world. However, he fearlessly put his thoughts through his writing for various media, blogs, and books.
In the late 1990s, Fatah became increasingly critical of Islamic fundamentalism and its impact on Muslim communities around the world. He wrote several books on the subject, including “Chasing a Mirage: The Tragic Illusion of an Islamic State” and “The Jew is Not My Enemy: Unveiling the Myths that Fuel Muslim Anti-Semitism.”
In his long public appearance, he would often show his respect for Hinduism and the pride he took in the Indian civilization. He also hosted a show on Zee News titled ‘Fatah Ka Fatwa’ which literally means ‘Fatah’s opinion’. He was often targeted by Islamist Maulanas for his bold and clear critical comments on radical Islam.
