IAMC mourns passing of towering human rights champion and Gujarat pogrom survivor Zakia Jafri
Washington, D.C. (February 3, 2025) – The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) today mourns the passing of Zakia Jafri, a fearless human rights defender and a survivor of the 2002 Gujarat pogrom, who spent her life relentlessly pursuing justice for the thousands of innocent victims of one of India’s darkest massacres.
Jafri, who passed away on February 1 at the age of 86, was a witness and survivor of the 2002 Gujarat pogrom. During the violence, Narendra Modi, then serving as Chief Minister of Gujarat, reportedly ordered law enforcement to stand down as Hindu militant mobs massacred around 2,000 Muslim children, women, and men across the state. Among the victims was Jafri’s husband, Muslim politician Ehsan Jafri, who was brutally murdered and dismembered by a Hindu mob, along with 69 other Muslims whom the couple had been sheltering in their home.
In the decades following the pogrom, Zakia Jafri dedicated her life to fighting to hold the orchestrators of the Gujarat pogrom accountable. In 2006, she filed a petition with the Supreme Court of India against Modi and other political figures for their complicity in the pogrom. Her relentless fight forced India’s Supreme Court to order an inquiry, but despite mounting evidence, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) shielded Modi from accountability in its controversial 2012 findings. Undeterred, Jafri waged an unrelenting legal battle, challenging the whitewash until her final plea was dismissed in June 2022.
“Zakia Jafri was the conscience of a nation that refused to acknowledge its crimes,” said IAMC Executive Director Rasheed Ahmed. “She never relented in her quest for justice, and though she did not live to see her husband’s killers and their enablers held accountable, we will not let her fight go in vain. It is now our duty to carry forward her mission and ensure that Narendra Modi and his accomplices answer for the bloodshed they orchestrated.”
“Zakia Jafri’s legacy is one of courage, resilience, and unwavering defiance in the face of tyranny. She taught us that silence is not an option. As members of the diaspora, we vow to honor her memory by amplifying her fight for justice, exposing the truth, and standing up against the forces of hate and impunity. We will not rest until every victim of the Gujarat pogrom sees the justice they deserve.”
Zakia Jafri’s passing marks the end of an era—but her indomitable spirit remains a rallying cry for human rights defenders worldwide. IAMC salutes her life, her struggle, and her sacrifice. The fight for justice continues.
