214. Death Of A Cover Girl: Raudha Athif

This is a case that has stuck with Jen for a few years now.

In late 2015 a breathtaking image of nineteen-year-old Raudha Athif wearing a snow-white sleeveless dress, standing chest high in the cerulean, teal swirl of the Indian Ocean. It wouldn’t take long before the image snagged the attention of Vogue magazine. While being a model is a dream for many young women. Raudha had aspirations of being a doctor like her father.

After receiving a scholarship to Islami Bank Medical College, Raudha headed to Bangladesh, which was quite a culture shock. Raudha adapted beautifully. When her Vogue cover hit the stands in October of 2016, the happiness Raudha felt soon gave way to concern. The students at the school began to treat her differently. She received threats and insults for not dressing in a manner appropriate for a Muslim girl. Raudha adhered to the dress code while at school, but modeling, in general, is looked down upon in some of the factions of Islam. To have her depicted in the magazine with exposed arms, shoulders, and hair made matters even worse.

By the end of March 2017, Raudha was found dead in her dorm room. While doctors in Bangladesh ruled her death a homicide, Raudha's family believes it was foul play.

Join Cam & Jen as they discuss "Death of a Cover Girl: Raudha Athif."

Call or text 988 if you’re thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support. The Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States.

In the UK, you can call Samaritans' 24/7 hotline at 116 123
In Australia, you can call Lifeline’s 24/7 hotline at 13 11 14

Research and writing by Lauretta Allen
Listener Discretion by OctoberpodVHS & OctoberpodAM
Producer Music & Editing by Nico at We Talk of Dreams

Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NK7d1U-SALY
https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/death-of-vogue-cover-girl-raudha-athif-was-work-of-extremists-parents-say/news-story/654ee6a51a345e8f712bf043da038cd4
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raudha_Athifhttps://www.thedailystar.net/city/news/raudha-died-suicide-pib-1721938
https://www.india.com/viral/vogue-cover-girl-raudha-atif-allegedly-murdered-for-wearing-jeans-in-a-muslim-college-in-bangladesh-2009544/
https://mujunaeem.com/2017/04/02/the-case-of-the-missing-instagram-users-from-raudha-follow-list/
https://www.9news.com.au/world/60-minutes-team-forced-out-of-bangladesh-while-investigating-models-alleged-murder/29a5ce22-3b80-4963-bb5a-2c5b6069aa65
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maldiveshttps://www.archdaily.com/999412/a-brief-history-of-the-maldives-culture-contemporary-architecture-and-tourism
https://www.britannica.com/place/Maldives
https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/bangladesh.htmhttp://rarolae.com/tragic-maldivian-vogue-model-raudha-athif-found-dead-in-dormitory-police-call-it-suicide/
https://globalvoices.org/2017/03/31/sudden-death-of-aqua-blue-eyed-model-shocks-maldives/#:~:text=In%202015%2C%20she%20became%20a,for%20her%20supposedly%20risque%20attire.
https://www.frukmagazine.com/model-raudha-athif-maldivian-girl-with-aqua-blue-eyes-commits-suicide/
https://twitter.com/DrMohamedAthif/status/1200074091648016384https://everipedia.org/wiki/lang_en/raudha-athifh
ttps://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/maldivian-model-s-father-accuses-kashmiri-best-friend-of-murdering-her-in-college-hostel/story-ESWOPTunVqIk68DQB8fanJ_amp.html
https://edition.mv/news/2875