A Muslim model who became famous after her “Maldivian girl with aqua blue eyes” photoshoot and was later featured on the cover of Vogue magazine’s Indian edition, was found dead last month in her dorm in Bangladesh. The autopsy report concluded that she committed suicide. However her family claims that she was murdered by extremists for not wearing Islamic clothing.
Raudha Athif, 20 was featured at the October 2016 cover of Vogue India, the edition that celebrated beauty in diversity. She later used the platform as a public figure to be an outspoken defender of victims “bullied over religious controversies”. She was also studying medicine in a medical college in Bangladesh, where she was found hanged in her dorm room.
Her death was ruled as a suicide but is now under investigation after her family spoke out that they believe she was murdered.
“There have been a series of murders in Bangladesh which have been staged to look like suicides and Islamic extremists have been suspected to be behind these atrocities,” Raudha’s brother, Rayyan Athif, told the Sun.
Her family believes that she was targeted because she was outspoken and because she wore un-islamic clothing.
“Her style of clothing was branded as ‘immodest’ and ‘un-Islamic’ even though she adhered to the dress code in the college premises by wearing a veil covering her face,” her brother said. “She was criticized for wearing jeans and was repeatedly told she couldn’t wear it at the Muslim college.”
“Raudha was a strong woman, she would not back down and stood up for herself and for others. It could have made extremists boil up inside with anger,” Rayyan told the Sun.
When the autopsy was conducted Athif reportedly had marks on he neck that were ruled as birthmarks. But her family claims that she doesn’t have any birthmarks. She also reportedly told her family that someone mixed sleeping pills in her drinks weeks before her death.
“We’ve seen her bruised body, her tightly-held fists and hand marks on her neck as if somebody strangled her. When we raised these issue with the police, they dismissed it,” the family said.
Maldivian medical student and my daughter Raudha Athif did not commit sucide.She was murdered at her hostel room.I ve the facts
— Dr.Mohamed Athif (@athifMohd) April 4, 2017
The family started a petition on change.org calling for a proper investigation into her death.
Athif became wildly popular after the images of her emerging from a clear turquoise water were shared online. She was then tracked down by Vogue editors stunned by her beauty, and eventually landed on the cover of the fashion magazine. In the interview with Vogue she said that modeling was her hobby. Her true passion was becoming a doctor.
