Pakistani-Canadian journalist Tarek Fatah passes away at 73 after prolonged illness

Canadian-based Pakistani journalist and author Tarek Fatah lost his fight with illness today, according to his daughter Natasha Fatah. He was aged 73. 

“Lion of Punjab. Son of Hindustan. Lover of Canada. Speaker of truth. Fighter for justice. Voice of the down-trodden, underdogs, and the oppressed. Tarek Fatah has passed the baton on... his revolution will continue with all who knew and loved him. Will you join us? 1949-2023," Natasha tweeted.

Lion of Punjab.
Son of Hindustan.
Lover of Canada.
Speaker of truth.
Fighter for justice.
Voice of the down-trodden, underdogs, and the oppressed.@TarekFatah has passed the baton on… his revolution will continue with all who knew and loved him.

Will you join us?

1949-2023 pic.twitter.com/j0wIi7cOBF

— Natasha Fatah (@NatashaFatah) April 24, 2023

Tarek Fatah was born on November 20, 1949, in Karachi, Pakistan. He was a leader of the communist student movement in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was twice imprisoned by Pakistan's consecutive military regimes over these decades. In 1977, General Zia-ul Haq accused him of sedition and forbade him from being a journalist in the nation. In 1987, he moved to Canada and has been a journalist ever since.

Tarek Fatah was known for his strong opposition to radical Islam and is quite popular in India among many people due to his views. He took great pride in his Indian ancestry. In interviews, he frequently claimed that he came from a Rajput family that had been forcibly converted to Islam in the 1840s.

He declared himself to be a Hindustani born in Pakistan. He was a fierce opponent of fanaticism in Islam. As a result, he frequently faced attacks from Muslims all around the world. He nevertheless bravely expressed his ideas through his writing for a variety of media, blogs, and books.