Canada-based Author and activist Tarek Fatah, who was of Pakistani descent, passed away on Monday after a protracted illness. He was 73.
The self-described “Midnight’s Child” journalist Tarek Fatah passed away from cancer, according to his daughter who announced the news on social media. “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,” his daughter Natasha Fatah announced on Twitter.
He was born in Karachi on November 20, 1949. Fatah, a well-known supporter of LGBT rights, was recognized for his criticisms of Islamic extremism and the Pakistani establishment. The Canadian author was well-known for his liberal perspectives on terrorism and Islam.
Tarek Fatah, who was well-known for his vehement views on Pakistan, frequently voiced his support for the Narendra Modi led BJP government in India. Fatah came to Canada in the early 1980s after leaving Pakistan.
He has worked as a political activist, journalist, and television personality in Canada. He is the author of numerous publications, including “The Jew is Not My Enemy: Unveiling the Myths that Fuel Muslim Anti-Semitism” and “Chasing a Mirage: The Tragic Illusion of an Islamic State”.
He identified himself as an “Indian born in Pakistan, a Punjabi born in Islam; an immigrant in Canada with a Muslim consciousness, grounded in a Marxist youth.” He majored in biochemistry at the University of Karachi, was an active Marxist activist in student days, and graduated before changing career to journalism, which brought him both praise and criticism.
In 1970, he started working as a reporter for Karachi Sun. Later, he moved on to work as an investigative reporter for Pakistan Television. He was accused of sedition by the regime of Zia-ul Haq in 1977, and as a result he fled to Saudi Arabia before settling in Canada in 1987. After working in several positions across Canada’s media landscape, he eventually joined Toronto radio station CFRB Newstalk 1010 as a broadcaster there. He later started writing columns for Toronto Sun.
