India denies visa to British journalist Yvonne Ridley

[Anubis]

HYDERABAD: India has denied award-winning British journalist Yvonne Ridley a visa. She was scheduled to address the Spring of Islam conference being held here by the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind.

The London-based journalist, who was captured by the Taliban on an undercover assignment in Afghanistan in 2001 and converted to Islam after her release in 2003, was to address various sessions at the three-day conference, which began Friday.

"The Indian Government is refusing to give me a conference visa to address 50,000 women in Hyderabad about women's rights ... I would have thought after the catastrophic handling of the Dehli rape case, politicians would be more sensitive, but it seems not. We women continue to be sidelined and treated as second class citizens," she said in her post on Facebook.

Ridley, through video conference, addressed three sessions of girls, women and journalists.

"The Indian government knows how powerful words are. That is why I am sitting in the UK today talking to you instead of being with you to deliver this speech in person," she said, addressing the session of journalists Saturday.

Khalid Mubashir-ul-Zafar, president of Jamaat-e-Islami's Hyderabad unit, said Ridely was given all necessary clearances by the external affairs ministry, but was denied visa in the last minute because of the tense situation in Hyderabad.

There was tension in the city Friday after a group of people staged protests in the old city over the arrest of Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) leader and legislator Akbaruddin Owaisi for his alleged hate speech.

Ridley was also denied a visa when she planned a trip to Kerala in 2010 to address a Muslim women's conference organised by the Jamaat.

 

[Roybot]

Good move by the Indian government, we don't need such clowns in our country.

 

[trinity]

Good move....fuk her as she tries to spread BS. As for Hydrebad, high time to rein on those extremists over there. Nip them ASAP

 

[Star Wars]

good move..

 

[takeiteasy]

policy is correct. deny visa to the extremely brainwashed slave who want to brainwash muslims in india.

 

[Koovie]

Good move. Foreigners who think they have to act in India should stay out.

 

[DARIUS]

But the fact remains that what these ******* morons could have possibly said while addressing these congregations that kept the GoI on its foot!!??I personally feel that there's an immediate need for the GoI to take our Muslim brothers (the very few whom these radical morons have managed to brainwash) into confidence and reestablish their faith in the nation and it's policies so that it doesn't matter anymore as o who says what and everyone could be granted a VISA!!!

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

Have these journalists run out of exciting news stories in Britain that they need to whip up problems in Asia now too?

 

[KS]

No visa must be given to any foreigner for any religious preaching or **** stirring reasons. We have enough problems as is.

 

[Ayush]

a good decision.we dont need another arundhati roy.

 

[walwal]

Thank you very much Government of India, for being sensible. India will be better place in absence of such bigoted and preachy people. Already we have loads of problems with such creatures existing around.

 

[notsuperstitious]

Mad terrorism apologists we have enough at home, no need to import an extreme stockholm syndrome case.

 

[RoYaL~GuJJaR]

Good Move!

I hope WE put all of such clowns in the Black-List.

 

[Abingdonboy]

I never understood how no one questioned her on her conversion. She only converted after she was captured by the Taliban so it seems like a case of Stockholm syndrome or brainwashing either way she is pretty radical in her views. And why was a British journalist looking to come and preach in India? She has 0 connection with India. And the comments she then goes in to make about the recent rape case- how is that relevant?? I'm glad she was refused such a visa she clearly has serious issues.

+ she works for PressTv that is notoriously anti-India. Her views are radical and India is right not to want such a fool in their country- I wish we could throw her out! I'm guessing it is her views on Kashmir and her condemnation for India in the past that has led to this banning- fair enough.

 

[Abingdonboy]

Need prroof of how crazy she is-

-This woman was married to a former Palestine Liberation Organization officer- he was an ACTIVE officer when they met.


-She told colluegues that she was apart of some UK specialist intelligence agency- she was NOT.

-In December 2001 she expressed worries that officers from Mossad, the Israeli secret service, or from other intelligence agencies were plotting to have her killed, in an effort to boost public support for the war in Afghanistan

- Her views on Israel- "that disgusting little watchdog of America that is festering in the Middle East"

- the Respect Party (her nut-job party), "is a Zionist-free party ... if there was any Zionism in the Respect Party they would be hunted down and kicked out. We have no time for Zionists,"[75] while both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats were "riddled with Zionists."


- Ridley was asked if she didn't see it as a problem that militant Islamists distribute recruiting videos of Iraqi insurgents killing hostages. She replied that it was necessary for Muslims to have these videos at home as an alternative form of news to what she perceived as the propaganda of Western media


-she compared British Prime Minister Tony Blair with Pol Pot.


-Critics have accused her of defending the late Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and his campaign of violence in Iraq and Jordan,

-Al-Zarqawi was denounced by his family after the bombings, a move that Ridley thought "cowardly." She said of al-Zarqawi himself that she would "rather put up with a brother like Abu Musab al-Zarqawi any day than have a traitor or sell-out for a father, son or grandfather"

The list goes on and on, it is no surprise the Indian government wants this woman nowhere near their country! Heck, I wish she wasn't even in this nation!