Rana Ayyub facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rana Ayyub
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Ayyub in 2017
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| Born | 1 May 1984 Bombay, Maharashtra, India
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| Alma mater | Sophia College |
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| Relatives | Abdul Haq Azmi (uncle) |
Rana Ayyub (born on May 1, 1984) is a well-known Indian journalist and writer. She writes opinion pieces for The Washington Post. She is also the author of an investigative book called Gujarat Files: Anatomy of a Cover Up.
Contents
About Rana Ayyub
Early Life and Family
Rana Ayyub was born in Mumbai, India. Her father, Mohammad Ayyub Waqif, was a writer for a magazine in Mumbai. He was also part of a group of progressive writers. Her uncle, Abdul Haq Azmi, was a respected scholar. He taught at Darul Uloom Deoband.
When she was five years old, Rana had polio. This affected her left hand and right leg for a time. However, she fully recovered from the illness. In the early 1990s, there were riots in Mumbai. Rana, who was nine at the time, had to leave her home with her sister. They stayed with friends for three months. Later, they reunited with their family in Deonar, a Muslim-majority area where she grew up. Rana Ayyub follows the Muslim faith.
She studied English literature at Sophia College in Mumbai.
Her Start in Journalism
Rana Ayyub began her career at Tehelka, a news magazine based in Delhi. She worked there as an investigative journalist. Her early reports helped bring important issues to light.
One of her biggest projects was a secret investigation. This work later became the basis for her book, Gujarat Files. After this investigation, the magazine decided not to publish her findings. Rana continued to work at Tehelka for several more months. In November 2013, she resigned from the magazine. She left because of how the organization handled a serious accusation against her boss. Since then, she has worked as an independent journalist.
Her Work as a Journalist
Writing for The Washington Post
In September 2019, The Washington Post invited Rana Ayyub to be a contributing writer for their global opinions section. This means she writes articles sharing her views on world events.
In 2021, she explained on a BBC show that writing for international media helps her express critical views. She noted that some Indian media outlets were censoring their journalists.
In October 2020, a book called Inquilab: A Decade of Protest was published. It included an open letter written by Rana Ayyub. This letter protested the appointment of an actor as the head of the Film and Television Institute of India. The book collects important speeches and letters from the past ten years.
The Gujarat Investigation
As an investigative journalist for Tehelka, Rana Ayyub took on a major project. She went undercover to investigate the 2002 Gujarat riots. She wanted to find out if politicians or government officials had hidden any information.
Rana pretended to be Maithili Tyagi, a filmmaker from the American Film Institute. She spent about ten months in disguise, making friends with the people she was investigating. She recorded her conversations secretly. However, after all her work, the magazine decided not to publish her story. They felt her recordings did not offer new or important information.
Her Book: Gujarat Files
Rana Ayyub decided to publish her findings in a book. Her book, Gujarat Files: Anatomy of a Cover Up, contains the exact conversations she recorded. These recordings were made during her undercover investigation. She spoke with many government officials and police officers. She wanted to understand their views on the 2002 Gujarat riots and police killings.
Rana pretended to be a student who supported certain political beliefs. This helped her get the recordings.
Disagreement with Tehelka
The editors of Tehelka said that Rana Ayyub's story was "incomplete." They also said it "did not meet the necessary editorial standards." Rana Ayyub disagreed with their reasons. She pointed out that her book became a bestseller and received good reviews. She believes the readers can decide for themselves.
How Her Book Was Received
Many people praised Rana Ayyub's book. Historian Ramachandra Guha called Gujarat Files "a brave book." Many journalists admired her courage in writing it. One journalist noted that online attacks did not bother her. Another observer said that going undercover for such a serious investigation showed great bravery.
Outlook magazine listed Rana Ayyub's investigation as one of the twenty greatest magazine stories ever. In 2018, she received the "Most Resilient Global Journalist" award. This was for her strength in continuing her work despite challenges.
The Supreme Court of India reviewed her book in a specific case. They said the book was based on guesses and did not have legal proof. Rana Ayyub found this confusing. She noted that her work had been used as evidence in other related cases. She also said that no official had denied her claims or taken her to court.
Reporting from Kashmir
In 2019, Rana Ayyub traveled to Kashmir with another journalist. They reported on the situation there after the Indian government changed Kashmir's special status. Their report described challenges faced by the local population, including young people. This was different from the official reports, which said the region was calm. Before their report, it was hard to confirm information from Kashmir due to communication blackouts.
Awards and Recognition
Rana Ayyub has received many awards for her brave journalism:
- In October 2011, she won the Sanskriti award for excellence in journalism.
- In 2017, she received a 'Citation of Excellence' for her undercover investigation into the 2002 Gujarat Riots.
- Actress Richa Chadda said she was inspired by Rana Ayyub for her role as a journalist in a 2016 film.
- In 2018, she received the Most Resilient Journalist Award from Free Press Unlimited. This was for continuing her work despite online and offline harassment.
- In 2019, Time magazine listed her as one of ten global journalists facing the most threats.
- In February 2020, she was awarded the McGill Medal for journalistic courage.
- She received the 2020 Voices of Courage and Conscience Award.
- In 2021, she received the Excellence in International Journalism and Human Rights Award.
- Also in 2021, she won the Overseas Press Club Award for her writings in The Washington Post.
- On June 28, 2022, she received the International John Aubuchon Award from the National Press Club.
- On October 23, 2024, she was awarded the Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) International Press Freedom Award.
Challenges and Threats
Rana Ayyub has faced many online attacks. These attacks often come from social media users who support certain political groups. A report found that social media platforms have not always stopped the abuse against her. The report also noted that she receives abusive messages very quickly after she posts something online.
In 2018, Rana received many threats online. Her private information was shared publicly. She filed a complaint with the police in April 2018. However, the police closed the case in August 2020, saying they could not identify the people responsible.
Several experts from the United Nations Human Rights Council have spoken out about her situation. They have warned about the serious risks to her safety. They have asked Indian authorities to protect her from online hate campaigns and threats. A US government report in 2020 also mentioned the online harassment and threats she faced. An international non-profit group, Reporters Without Borders, also discussed the hate speech against her. They asked the government and police to protect her.
In 2022, some online groups created an app that targeted Muslim women journalists in India. Rana Ayyub and other prominent women were targeted by this app. They also received many hate messages from another secret app. This app was reportedly used to spread certain political messages online.
See also
In Spanish: Rana Ayyub para niños
