For almost a decade, one of the Muslim world’s most admired public intellectuals has lived beneath a cloud of accusation. Dr Tariq Ramadan—grandson of Imam Hassan al-Banna, but more importantly a contemporary scholar of ethics, philosophy, and Islamic renewal—once filled lecture halls from Cairo to Chicago. His audiences were wonderfully mixed: young Muslims searching for guidance on living their dīn in a secular age, disillusioned atheists curious about faith, and Christians and Jews drawn to a mind that built bridges where others-built walls.
Then, in late 2017, a storm of headlines struck. Several women in France and Switzerland accused Dr Ramadan of sexual assault. Overnight, a respected Muslim voice in Europe was branded a criminal. Invitations vanished, universities removed his works from syllabi, and newspapers blurred allegation with conviction. Commentators who had long debated him as an equal suddenly spoke of him only in the past tense.
Throughout it all, Dr Ramadan stood firm. “I am innocent,” he declared—repeatedly, even as judges ordered him into solitary confinement. Yet he always reminded the ummah that the real battle was larger than his own name. “What is at stake,” he said, “is the attempt to silence Muslim voices, to delegitimise those who stand for justice in Palestine, to reduce a confident Islam to a caricature of extremism.” Words once dismissed as self-defence now feel prophetic.
Science Enters the Courtroom
This September in Geneva, his legal team faced the cameras—not with fiery speeches but with verifiable evidence. They presented two Forensic Computational Linguistics reports, an advanced method of identifying authorship that European courts increasingly recognise.
The first dismantles the Swiss case. The complainant, known as “Brigitte,” alleged that Dr Ramadan assaulted her during a single meeting. Yet experts discovered that on 14 October 2008—two weeks before the alleged encounter—she posted blog entries announcing that “a torpedo is in preparation.” Independent analyses gave near-absolute certainty (99.09 % and 100 %) that she wrote those words herself. What was sold as a spontaneous accusation now appears premeditated.
The French case unravels similarly. Messages handed to police on a USB stick by another complainant, “Christelle,” supposedly documented a conversation after an assault. Linguistic fingerprinting shows that five days before she ever met him, she herself composed those very messages, outlining a plan to lure him into a hotel room. Again, the probability of authorship is overwhelming (97.17 % and 98.60 %).
Two other women who once joined the French proceedings have since recanted, confessing manipulation and pointing directly to Jean-Claude Elfassi, a French-Israeli paparazzo with far-right affiliations. Swiss authorities are now investigating a criminal complaint against Elfassi for suborning witnesses.
A Campaign Against More Than One Man
Even if this were merely the vindication of a single scholar, it would demand our attention. But the Ramadan affair has always been about something far bigger: the deliberate effort to weaken confident Muslim voices in the West.
Since 9/11, Western discourse has too often forced Muslims into a false choice—abandon faith or be branded suspect. Dr Ramadan rejected that choice. He showed that a Muslim could be fully European while remaining faithful to the Qur’an and Sunnah. He spoke boldly for the oppressed in Palestine, criticised dictatorships in the Middle East, and challenged the hypocrisies of Western foreign policy. For those who prefer Islam to appear either submissive or violent, such a figure was intolerable. Silencing him required more than debate; it required character assassination.
Media, Courts, and the Presumption of Innocence
Our faith commands justice and fairness—even for those we dislike. Sexual-assault allegations deserve serious investigation whoever the accused may be. But justice collapses when the presumption of innocence is ignored. From the earliest reports, much of the European press treated accusation as proof. Dr Ramadan endured months of harsh detention as lurid speculation filled front pages. Retractions and contradictions received only a whisper. These new forensic analyses not only strengthen his defence—they expose the weakness of systems willing to bend to political prejudice.
How did such decisive evidence remain buried for years? Why were retractions hidden while the initial accusations dominated the news cycle? If Swiss and French courts now revise their judgments, Europe must confront how easily its institutions were swayed by fear and bias.
An Ummah-Wide Echo
This saga is not confined to Geneva or Paris. Across the globe—from India to the United States—Muslim scholars and activists face a similar climate of suspicion. Dr Ramadan’s case is a stark reminder that tools meant to protect rights can be turned against those who speak for the ummah.
It also shows the fragility of public dialogue. Dr Ramadan’s reach extended well beyond devout Muslims. Many secular thinkers and even atheists found in his arguments a meeting place of reason and revelation. Silencing such a bridge-builder sends a dangerous message: that true dialogue between faith and modernity is unwelcome.
Seeking Justice—and Healing
The months ahead will reveal whether European justice can correct itself. Swiss courts are reviewing a request for revision, and French judges weigh a similar petition. The new scientific evidence challenges the foundation of every charge. If the law values its own credibility, it must answer not to public opinion but to undeniable proof.
Yet a favourable verdict alone will not undo the harm. A decade of suspicion cannot be erased by a single ruling. Reputations, careers, and the already fragile trust between Muslim communities and European institutions have been scarred. If Dr Ramadan is finally cleared, will the media that splashed his photograph across front pages devote equal space to his exoneration? Will universities that quietly dropped his books publicly reinstate them? Justice in Islam is more than a verdict—it is restoration.
The ordeal of Dr Tariq Ramadan is therefore not only the story of a man targeted and falsely accused. It is a mirror held up to Western democracies, revealing how quickly fear can corrupt fairness. For Muslims worldwide, it is also a reminder: our voices, when confident and principled, will always be tested.
When the gavel falls in Geneva and Paris, the central question will not simply be whether Dr Tariq Ramadan walks free. The real question is whether truth—established by science and recognised by law—can overcome the prejudice of an age, and whether we, as an ummah, will continue to stand firm for justice as our faith commands.
Author Bio: Syed Azharuddin is a writer, consultant, and activist who amplifies the unheard voices of marginalized communities. His work explores themes of justice, youth empowerment, education, and socio-political change. With a deep commitment to human dignity and truth, he uses research and storytelling as tools to challenge dominant narratives and advocate for a more compassionate and inclusive world. Email: logonazhar@gmail.com
The views expressed in this article are author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the policy of the platform.
