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New Delhi, India – A deepfake video that falsely portrayed freelance model Samreen Ayoub as a Muslim woman selling her body to Hindu men went viral on Instagram, triggering a digital lynching campaign that included abusive comments, threatening calls, and the loss of professional opportunities. AI‑Generated Video of Samreen Ayoub Triggers Digital Lynching The video stitched together photographs from Ayoub’s time at Jamia Millia Islamia University and added an AI‑generated voiceover that misidentified her brother as a "pimp". Within hours, more than a dozen accounts reposted the clip and hundreds reshared it, creating a coordinated harassment wave. 6.7 Million Interactions Reveal Scale of AI‑Fueled Abuse Study by the Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH) examined 1,326 AI‑generated images and videos from 297 public accounts (May 2023 – May 2025). Sexualised depictions of Muslim women generated the highest engagement: > 6.7 million interactions across X, Facebook and Instagram. Approximately 10 % of the 482 cases handled by the Meri Trustline helpline (since 2022) involved digitally manipulated material. AI tools used are often free, require no technical expertise, and can produce realistic deepfakes at speed. Deepfake Harassment Amplifies Communal Tensions and Legal Gaps in India Researchers link the visual pattern of a "Muslim‑coded woman" paired with a "Hindu‑coded man" to a broader "pornification of politics" that normalises abuse against minority women. The phenomenon echoes earlier "Sulli Deals" (2021) and "Bulli Bai" (2022) mock‑auction campaigns, which led to arrests of Aumkareshwar Thakur and Niraj Bishnoi in January 2022 (bail granted two months later). Legal experts note that India’s Section 66E of the Information Technology Act addresses non‑consensual images of real persons, but may not cover entirely AI‑generated content, leaving victims without clear recourse. Platform "safe harbour" protections further limit accountability. Future Outlook: Stricter Regulation and Platform Accountability Needed Politician Atif Rasheed (BJP) called for stronger regulations to curb AI‑driven abuse, while acknowledging the technology’s dual potential. Advocates such as Apar Gupta of the Internet Freedom Foundation urge updates to legal frameworks and redesign of reporting mechanisms on social platforms. If India does not adapt its laws and platform policies, the rapid, low‑cost generation of harassing deepfakes is likely to expand, perpetuating fear, reputational damage, and real‑world safety concerns for Muslim women and other vulnerable groups.

The Lead A recent report by the Muslim Council of Britain has found that Muslims make up 6.5 percent of the population of England and Wales, with a median age of just 27 – 13 years younger than the national average. Nearly half are under 25, meaning British Muslims are one of the youngest and fastest-growing groups in the country. Demographic Shift Researchers say that shift could become politically significant if the voting age is lowered to 16, potentially adding about 150,000 more Muslim voters to the electorate. “This is a young, British-born, highly educated generation, and politicians who still think of Muslims as outsiders are reading from a script that is 20 years out of date,” said Miqdad Asaria, associate professor in health policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Education and Inequality The report, British Muslims in Numbers, analyses census data across 2001, 2011 and 2021 and argues that much of Britain’s understanding of Muslim life is now outdated. British Muslims remain one of the youngest populations in England and Wales, with a median age of 27. However, the report also paints a stark picture of inequality and struggle, with about 110,000 Muslim households – 10.3 percent – being lone-parent households with dependent children, higher than the national average of 6.9 percent. Signs of Social Mobility Despite these challenges, the report documents signs of social mobility. Muslim women’s economic activity has risen by 37 percent over the past two decades. Nearly a third of Muslims now hold degrees, close to the national average, while among 16–24-year-olds, Muslims now exceed the national average for degree-level attainment. The Future Outlook For researchers behind the report, the central question is no longer whether Muslims belong, but whether Britain’s institutions are prepared for the scale of the demographic and social change already under way. “Muslims are increasingly well-educated, entrepreneurial, economically active and engaged citizens,” said Abdul-Azim Ahmed, deputy director of the Centre for the Study of Islam in the UK.

Documentary filmmaker Jude Chehab debuts with a complex and moving film that investigates her family's secrets and the secretive Muslim women's order al-Qubaysiat, operating in Lebanon and Syria. Chehab's mother, Hiba, and grandmother, Doria, were devoted followers, and Chehab herself was initiated into the group as a young girl.The film focuses on the emotional fallout of Hiba's expulsion from the group, which inspired feelings of solidarity and freedom but also demanded absolute submission to the leader, known as the Anisa or Teacher. Chehab's storytelling approach eschews sensationalism, instead highlighting the emotional turmoil endured by Hiba and her family.Hiba emerges as a complex figure, not simply a victim, but someone who has undergone a slow liberation. She now leads Muslim study groups, encouraging curiosity and understanding rather than blind faith. This internal emancipation is portrayed as a radical and empowering journey for a Muslim woman rediscovering her voice.The documentary, Q, is set to air on True Story from 3 April, offering a unique perspective on the complexities of faith, identity, and family secrets.