Islamist Tariq Ramadan accused of rape by Salafist turned activist

A rape and sexual assault complaint was filed on Friday in France against Swiss Islamist and Professor Tariq Ramadan by a former Salafist Henda Ayari

The complaint filed with the Rouen prosecutor’s office in northwestern France, by the Salafist turned secular activist, detailed criminal acts of rape, sexual assault, violence, harassment and intimidation, according to document reviewed by AFP.

The Liberators Association, which Henda Ayari is president of, said on Facebook that she was “a victim of something very serious several years ago” but did not reveal the name of her aggressor for safety reasons.

Hend Ayari twitter

In her book “I chose to be free”, published in November 2016, she described her aggressor as Zubair.

She said in her writings that she met him at his hotel in Paris after the Islamist thinker gave a lecture.

“I will not give precise details of the acts he has done to me. It is enough to know that he has benefited greatly from my weakness,” Ayari wrote.

She said in her book that when she rebelled against him at one point he screamed at her, insulted her, slapped her and treated her violently.

“I confirm today, that the famous Zubair is Tariq Ramadan,” Ayari published on Facebook.

According to Jonas Haddad, Ayari’s lawyer, the plaintiff did not report the assault earlier, out of fear.

“After revelations over the past few days of rape and sexual assaults claims in the media, Henda has decided to say what happened to her and take legal action,” he told AFP.

Tariq Ramadan could not be reached by AFP and did not react to the allegations on social media.

Ramadan, 55, is the grandson of the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood group in Egypt. He is a professor of contemporary Islamic studies at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.