A Mumbai-based journalist, mostly posing as a liberal, labeled Saudis ‘bloodthirsty’ for fighting terror in Yemen on Saturday (January 22). The outspoken journalist had slammed Saudi Arabia for initiating a military campaign against Yemen in a tweet. Saudi netizens have responded by attacking her on Twitter, accusing her of backing terrorism. They further voiced their disgust over Ayyub’s deceptive tweet.
“Yemen is bleeding, and nobody is stopping the murderous Saudis,” Rana Ayyub tweeted on Saturday, adding that she is humiliated as a Muslim that these savages are guards of the holy mosque.
Her remarks came after Saudi-led airstrikes in Yemen targeted a temporary jail administered by the Houthi rebel organization. The operations were stepped up after the Houthis launched a fatal drone attack on the United Arab Emirates, a member of the Saudi-led alliance. In Saudi Arabia, the organization has launched missile and drone strikes. The Houthis hold a considerable area in northern Yemen, and the Saudi-led coalition is fighting the organisation alongside the internationally recognized Yemeni government. Saudi residents were surprised to learn that the Indian journalist was criticizing them for backing the Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi administration in Yemen.
Several Saudi netizens replied to Rana Ayyub’s tweet by arguing that their government supports a recognized government, whereas Ayyub supports an Islamist terror group attempting to remove that government. Saudis and Emiratis also remarked on how she had been collecting donations for humanitarian activity but had been utilising them for her own purposes. “Personally, I’m embarrassed of those who collect donations for great organisations and then fail to use those monies for the reason for which they were raised,” said a twitter user, Jeddah Faisal. But that’s just my opinion.”
Another user alleged Ayyub to be one of the media elite hypocrites that promote terrorist Houthis who utilize child soldiers and are the major source of misery in Yemen. He mentioned that Saudi Arabia is attempting to remove the Houthi’s dictatorial rule by backing the terrorist organization.
Netizens from India also criticized her move. People have observed that while she is speaking out against the terror group’s attack, she was mute when numerous innocent people, including two Indians, were killed in the terror group’s drone strike in Abu Dhabi. Ayyub, startled by the response, blamed Prime Minister Modi for the abuse she hadn’t anticipated to face from Saudi netizens. Saudi trolls are being cheered on by Modi fans in India, she said in a tweet. You didn’t miss anything, she added.
