In today’s world where artificial intelligence is often seen as a tool of progress, helping us communicate and create something new, there is also a darker side emerging of this technology in India, The rise of AI has brought infront of us disturbing trends of mass production of semi pornographic image of Muslim women in hijabs or burqas in submissive position to Hindu men by pro Hindutva group reflecting the deeper communal and patriarchal ideologies.
The rise of AI has brought infront of us disturbing trends of mass production of semi pornographic image of Muslim women in hijabs or burqas in submissive position to Hindu men by pro Hindutva group reflecting the deeper communal and patriarchal ideologies.
The ease with which AI tools create these images, raise the critical question technology in perpetuating hate. Social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook have hundreds of such pages allowing such hate speech and communal propaganda to flourish. What is making it more dangerous is how these platforms which rely on user engagement have become the places of hate speech and systematic oppression.
The wide reach of these social media platforms have allowed hate speech to spread without any fear of repercussions. Violent fantasies have become normalised and accepted as a part of culture. This act is not just about individual act of hate, but this is about how technology has made this systematic oppression appear normal and okay.
When we delve deeper at this issue it’s not only about technology or random acts of harassment, but it is about how AI and social media are being used together to push a form of oppression that combines gender, religion, and power. The impact on Muslim women is devastating but the harm goes beyond them. It is affecting the society as whole. By examining understanding this problem through sociological lens, we can see that structures of power and oppression are the root cause of such violence.
The fetishisation of identity in these AI imagery
The hijab and burqa, which are markers of Muslim identity have been used to create AI generated image sexualising these religious garments hence fetishising the religious and cultural symbol. These images often show Muslim women in degrading situation with Hindu men. It’s a way for certain groups to humiliate Muslim women and assert control over the whole Muslim community.
The hijab which was a religious and personal choice for women has been turned into a tool for shame and domination. Annie Zaidi, a writer, and social commentator notes that these garments have become a code for Muslim women representing not just an individual but the whole Muslim community.
Annie Zaidi, a writer, and social commentator notes that these garments have become a code for Muslim women representing not just an individual but the whole Muslim community.
This reflects the bigger issue in society where Muslim women are reduced to a mere object of desire and control reinforcing the harmful stereotypes and making it easier to justify the violence and oppression against them. What is even more troubling is the paradox where in public, the hijab is often criticised as a symbol of oppression but in private it is fetishised as something exotic and desirable. This shows the double standards, deep prejudices and power imbalance in our society.
This issue is also connected to patriarchy and communalism where women’s bodies are seen as a symbol of the community’s honour and by targeting Muslim women these images do not only hurt women but the entire Muslim community. Scholars call this gendered communalism, where Muslim women’s bodies are used as a tool for oppression and religious conflict.
AI and social media tools amplifying hate and normalising violence.
The rise of AI generated images which has made it easy to produce hyper realistic, semi pornographic content with a target on Muslim women is alarming. What once required Photoshop edit now can be produced with AI tools making it accessible to hate groups. These images are often being shared across hundereds of pages on platforms like Instagram and Facebook normalising violence and turning the communal hatred into cultural narratives.
Social media has heightened the harm by providing the ground for hate speeches and communal propaganda. The anonymity and vast reach of these platform allow the hate groups to operate with impunity, while humour, memes and coded languages makes these hate speeches look more palatable, especially for younger audience. This normalisation of violence has widened the gap between the two communities and have undermined their equality and respect for each other, showing how technology and social media are weaponised to reinforce the existing power structures.
Power, patriarchy, and caste: the intersection of domination and communalism
The images generated by these AI tools are deeply disturbing, reflecting the fantasy of domination rooted in patriarchy, power, and communalism. Hindu men are often depicted as muscular, aggressive, and dominant, while the Muslim women are shown as submissive and intimidated. In some images multiple Hindu men surround a single Muslim woman. These images symbolise the collective domination.
Titles like “Hijabiyo ka shikari” and “Mulliyo ka malik” leave us with no confusion that this is not about individual fantasies but about asserting communal control. The sexual possession of Muslim women symbolises the domination over the entire Muslim community. This is typically a mentality deeply tied to the patriarchal and communal ideologies.
This narrative of domination is further complicated by the intersection of caste. The glorification of upper caste identities in title like “zalim pandit” and “zalim Thakur” shows us how caste privileges is intertwined with the communalism. These images emphasise Brahmanical dominance, reflecting the historical and social power of the upper caste who see themselves as the inheritor of the authority. The exclusion of the OBC and Dalit shows us that these narratives are deeply entrenched in the hierarchies of Hindu society where only dominant caste groups are allowed to assert dominance and power.
The exclusion of the OBC and Dalit shows us that these narratives are deeply entrenched in the hierarchies of Hindu society where only dominant caste groups are allowed to assert dominance and power.
Together these elements like patriarchy, caste and communalism create the toxic framework where Muslim women’s bodies have become the site to assert multiple layers of dominance.
Historical echoes: sexual violence as a tool of communal oppression
The use of sexual violence as a tool of communal oppression is not a new phenomenon. It is a deeply rooted strategy to humiliate and dominate marginalised communities. From the 2002 Gujarat riots to the Bilkis Bano case, Muslim women’s bodies has been targeted as a site of communal conflict. The language used in the leaflets during riots in Gujarat was ‘We have untied the penises that were tied till now, we have widened the tight vaginas of the Bibis‘.
These reveals a dehumanisation that reflects today’s AI generated content. This continuity shows us how sexual violence is not just an individual phenomenon but a calculated tool of communal dominance.
The shift from physical violence to digital exploitation does not lessens the impact but it increases the normalisation of hatred against the Muslim community making it reach to the wider audience.
The shift from physical violence to digital exploitation does not lessens the impact but it increases the normalisation of hatred against the Muslim community making it reach to the wider audience. The recent acknowledgment of the men convicted in the Bilkis Bano case and the support for the accused in the Kathua rape case highlights that how such violence is often legitimised and even celebrated.
These patterns are rooted in patriarchal and communal ideologies where women’s bodies are symbolised as the community’s honour and their violation in any way, seems to humiliate the entire community. The transition from physical violence to digital exploitation marks the evolution of how now technology is weaponised to perpetuate the same cycle of hatred. Addressing these challenges requires us not only legal but also technological interventions and change in societal attitude towards such violence.
The rise of AI and AI generated images, hate speech and content targeting Muslim women is an alarming reminder of how technology has been weaponised to perpetuate violence and oppression.
Addressing this issue requires us to follow the multipronged approach which includes better regulation of social media platforms, with strong legal framework and efforts to promote inter community understanding. As a member of this society, we must confront this uncomfortable truth that these images are not just an individual act of harassment but systematic oppression. The fight against such hate is not just about protecting Muslim women but it is about the preserving the fabric of diverse and democratic society.
About the author(s)
Shrishti is currently pursuing her Masters in Sociology from Banaras Hindu University. She has a keen research interest in Gender and Digital platform, Gender and Public policy and Media studies.
