Umama Fatema, spokesperson of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, has formally disassociated herself from the platform, alleging widespread irregularities, unethical practices, and internal chaos. On Friday night (June 27), she announced her resignation through a detailed Facebook post, highlighting the reasons behind her decision.
In her post, Fatema stated that her official association with the platform ended with the recently held central council. “My formal journey with the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement ends here,” she wrote.
Fatema, a prominent face of the July uprising, claimed she initially decided to continue working with the platform out of a sense of responsibility to complete the unfinished work of July. However, she alleged that the banner’s independence threatened the political ambitions of certain individuals, resulting in intense online and offline pressure on her to step away. Despite her attempts to sustain the platform from goodwill, she said she was subjected to a smear campaign orchestrated by her former colleagues using junior members.
Fatema described the internal environment as toxic, alleging that the platform had been eaten from within by opportunists. She noted that while many individuals with good intentions had joined local committees, they were ultimately sidelin
ed by political machinations. She accused fellow activists of using people as disposable tools, and described how her attempts to contribute were obstructed at every step.
In her words, “After the July uprising, watching everything fall apart before my eyes was extremely painful. Despite my emotional attachment, I decided to step away from the platform and shift my focus toward initiatives like ‘Empowering Our Fighters’ and science-related work.”
She recounted her experiences of being excluded from decisions, denied access to official pages, and subjected to public defamation posts from the platform’s own social media. “I wasn’t even allowed access to the official page, and posts were made against me from that very platform,” she wrote.
Fatema also raised concerns about the integrity of committee formation at various levels, claiming she repeatedly objected to faulty procedures without receiving any response. She accused some leaders of manipulating junior members to spread misinformation about her and obstructing her involvement by falsely blaming her for delays in council activities.
Regarding the most recent council elections, she said the process was politically influenced and lacked inclusivity. “Those who truly wanted to work were not even allowed to contest,” she said, adding that she reluctantly voted minutes before the deadline as a final gesture of goodwill — a gesture she now regrets after witnessing irregularities in the election results.
She concluded her statement by formally withdrawing her vote and all forms of support from the platform, expressing profound disillusionment. “I had joined this platform inspired by the dream of the uprising. But I now see that it has wasted the time and dreams of countless students for vested interests,” she wrote.
Fatema ended with a message of resilience, urging students to focus on their studies and professional development. “I’m not broken. I’m reorganising my life and moving forward. May God be with us,” she signed off.