On Sunday (March 12), the official Twitter handle of the US embassy in India stirred the hornet’s nest after it endorsed controversial radio jockey Sayema Rahaman for Women’s History Month.
“Breaking gender barriers with her powerful voice and messages, RJ Sayema is a trailblazer in broadcasting who inspires us to Embrace Equity. A Radio Jockey and YouTuber, she often uses her platforms to amplify diverse voices and inspire change. #Women History Month,” it said in a tweet.
The archive of the tweet can be accessed here. The development comes days after the US senate voted in favour of the nomination of Eric Michael Garcetti, who openly labelled the humanitarian Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) as ‘discriminatory, as the US ambassador to India.
Breaking gender barriers with her powerful voice and messages, RJ @_sayema🎙️ is a trailblazer in broadcasting who inspires us to #EmbraceEquity. A Radio Jockey and YouTuber, she often uses her platforms to amplify diverse voices and inspire change. #WomenHistoryMonth pic.twitter.com/Hd0ZddnEsC
— U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) March 12, 2023
Netizens were miffed at the choice of their ‘personality’ for Women’s History Month. A Twitter user remarked, “Most of her tweets in social networking platforms were communal and regressive.”
Most of her tweets in social networking platforms were communal and regressive .
— R Venkatakrishnan வேங்கடகிருஷ்ணன் (@rvkrish_r) March 12, 2023
One Rahul added, “So America has now openly started to encourage extremists in India.”
तो अब अमेरिका ने भारत मे खुल कर extremists को बढ़ावा देना शुरू कर दिया हैं।
— Rahul (@rs_arya) March 12, 2023
“What a shame U.S. Embassy! She is definitely not our inspiration but an Islamic bigot. Correct yourself please,” another user pointed out.
What a shame U.S Embassy ! She is definitely not our inspiration but an Islamic bigot. Correct yourself please 🥺
— Bhuvana sapre (@BhuvanaSapre) March 12, 2023
Author Anshul Pandey inquired, “So being Anti-Sanatan is a big achievement as per the US embassy in India.”
So being Anti-Sanatan is an big achievement as per @USAndIndia
— Anshul Pandey (@Anshulspiritual) March 12, 2023
One Dr Rajendra Nirantar wrote, “Shocked and surprised by the choice and the mindset.”
Shocked and surprised by the choice and the mindset
— Dr.Rajendra Nirantar 🇮🇳 (@rajtela1) March 12, 2023
Another Twitter user posted, “Very soon the US Embassy will declare Osama bin Laden as a Sufi saint.”
Very soon the US Embassy will declare Osama bin Laden as a Sufi saint.
— Ashish Tiwari (@iAT108) March 12, 2023
Problematic views of Sayema
In December 2019, the radio jockey was seen inciting a mob to hold demonstrations outside the Delhi police headquarters against alleged police brutality against Jamia students. Following outrage on social media, she was quick to delete the tweet.
In December 2020, Sayema was a frontrunner in creating an atmosphere of vaccine hesitancy in India. In a hurry to discredit Covaxin, she falsely claimed that Haryanan BJP Minister Anil Vij tested positive a month after he was administered the indigenously developed Covid-19 jab.
In the same year, a video featuring Sayema went viral online wherein she was seen legitimising the usage of radical Islamic terms such as ‘Kafir’ and ‘Jihad’ and thus normalising anti-Hindu bigotry.
In July 2022, Sayema was seen peddling disinformation about Hindu men posing as Muslims and offering namaz inside the Lulu mall in Lucknow. She was also at the helm of downplaying atrocities, committed against the Hindu community by her co-religionists, on social media.
Diwali Holi pr q gyan deti h firr 😡😡 pic.twitter.com/TXMrwysiw2
— BadCaptain.14 (@AshiqueDiljala) July 27, 2020
The radio jockey was also seen patronising and virtue-signalling the Hindu community during the festival of Diwali in 2017. Sayema has defended Coronavirus ‘superspreader’ Tablighi Jamaat and even tried to fool her audience about Islamic scriptures.