Shami takes on trolls over wife’s dress
NEW DELHI: Indian pacer Mohammed Shami became the latest victim of misplaced social media outrage after a photograph of him and his wife posted on Facebook spurred a string of nasty comments from religious hardliners.
Adept as Shami may be at outfoxing batsmen with his mastery over the swinging ball, he was caught off-guard when criticism arose over a sleeveless dress his wife was seen wearing in the photograph. Most of his detractors demanded that Hasin Jahan not be seen without wearing a hijab that covers her from head to toe. Some even went to the extent of calling her “un-Islamic”.
The cricketer, who is currently undergoing rehabilitation for right-knee soreness after missing the last two Tests against England, had posted the photograph on December 23. He immediately defended his daughter and wife from the online outrage directed at them, stating that others do not have any business commenting on their choice of apparel. “My wife and daughter are my life partners, and I know what is to be done and what not,” Shami wrote on both Twitter and Facebook. He also asked the trolls to first “look within”.
Former India batsman Mohammad Kaif came to Shami’s defence, terming the comments made on the photograph as “extremely shameful”.
Tennis champion Sania Mirza, the world No. 1 women’s doubles player, has faced similar attacks too. In 2005, a cleric issued a fatwa ordering the then 18-year-old to stop wearing “indecent” clothes and, instead, cover herself completely while playing.