Pictures of Muslim Women Were Misused in GitHub App as 'Sulli Deals'

On Sunday, 4 July, an anonymous group posted pictures of hundreds of Muslim women to an app labelled 'Sulli Deals' on GitHub, in a shameful act of selective misogyny targeting Muslim women. Sulli, or Sulla, is a slang used to refer to Muslim women by Hindutva extremists.

The app first surfaced when people began tweeting about their 'deal of the day,' although it has now been removed by GitHub.

Why Is The App Alarming?

GitHub is essentially a hosting platform with an open-source code repository. And it was on GitHub, the app 'Sulli Deals' was created and used.

"When the app is launched, the user is prompted to click on 'Find your sulli offer of the day.' It would then display a photo of a Muslim woman at random as your 'sulli bargain of the day,' most likely sourced from their social media account. I was taken aback to see my face presented as the deal of the day," Hana Mohsin Khan, a pilot by profession, spoke up about it.

Angry and Intimidated

A 27-year-old woman from Delhi-NCR said she stopped using social media after seeing her images on the 'Sulli Deals' app.

"I was surprised to see a random handle sharing my photo and naming me as the 'bargain of the day' on Twitter. You could wonder why she is so terrified. But I'm exhausted and intimidated. Clearly, if I am in danger and the lines between my real and fictional lives get blurred, no one will be able to help me except myself," she responded.

Khan, a well-known social media personality, said that she was not scared but rather furious.

"I am enraged as a woman. I'm not afraid or intimidated since we've been through so much to get here. Many individuals have advised me to stop publishing images. Why should I, though? But, at the same time, how long can this continue? When will action be taken, and how long will it take? "Khan went on to say that a group of women is looking at legal options.

'How Can This Be Acceptable?'

Turning to Twitter, Fatima Khan, a journalist whose photo was also featured on the anti-women app, asked, "How is this acceptable?"

GitHub's Response

GitHub, as a hosting platform, allows users to create apps under personal or administrative names, among other things. These apps may also be shared or sold on the GitHub marketplace. The creator of the 'Sulli Deals' app is unknown at this point.

Erica Brescia, Chief Operating Officer of GitHub, confirmed the app's removal on Twitter. Yet, no official comment has been made.

Delhi Police Files FIR

On Thursday (8th July) the Delhi Police Special Cell filed an FIR against an anonymous group in connection with the 'Sulli Deals' app incident, in which images of Muslim women were shown without their knowledge.

According to the police, a case FIR under section 354-A of the IPC has been filed and an investigation is underway.

The National Commission for Women has asked the Delhi Police to submit a detailed action taken report within 10 days.

In the meanwhile, Khan has also filed a FIR with the Delhi Police Department.

In a tweet, she stated, "I'm resolute and firm in forcing these cowards to pay for what they've done," adding, "These recurrent transgressions will not be tolerated."

NOT THE FIRST TIME!

This is not the first time that photographs of Muslim women have been widely circulated in India. Earlier this month, the India-based YouTube channel ‘Liberal Doge' aired a live video on Thursday, 13 May, sexualizing and posting misogynistic comments on pictures of Pakistani women from Eid ul-Fitr. The station is controlled by a man named Ritesh Jha, according to numerous social media handles.

Something as simple as posting a celebration photo became an anti-women slugfest, with men 'grading' women, criticising their 'looks,' and even going so far as to 'auction' them.

“Today, we will stalk women with our lustful eyes,” the video's YouTube description read in Hindi.

Indian women were not left out of the hatred, with men on Twitter making 'bids' on Muslim women being 'sold' to others.