SRINAGAR: Dangal actress, Zaira Waseem, who apologised for meeting J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and also differed with Union Sports Minister Vijay Goel’s take on hijab, has found support from an unexpected quarter in Kashmir - the son of a hardline separatist couple.
Muhammad Bin Qasim -- son of Asiya Andrabi (chairperson of woman separatist group Dukhtaran-e-Millat ) and Muhammad Qasim Faktoo (serving life imprisonment) -- in his Facebook post extended support to the Dangal actress saying the girl has proved herself to be a “girl of substance”.
“I must say Zaira is a girl of substance. I am not posting this status to applaud her brilliant performance in Dangal, but how she stood up against hypocrites and biased people around us after meeting J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti,” Qasim wrote on Facebook.
Zaira, who played the role of young Geeta Phogat in Aamir Khan-starrer Dangal, had on January 14 along with her family met Mehbooba in Jammu. She had briefed the CM about the film and the rigorous schedules she had to follow while performing her role.
However, after being trolled for her meeting with the CM, the Dangal actress later apologised to the people for “offending” them by meeting Mehbooba, whose PDP-BJP government is being blamed for using excessive force to quell the unrest in the Valley triggered by the killing of 21-year-old Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan in an encounter with security forces on July 8 last year. At least 92 civilians were killed and over 13000 injured including more than 8000 injured by pellets in firing by security forces in the Valley during the over five month long unrest period.
The Dangal actress had on Friday also hit out at Union Sports Minister Vijay Geol for his take on hijab. “Sir, with all respect to you, I feel I must disagree. I request you not to connect me to such a discourteous depiction. Women in hijab are beautiful and free and the story depicted through this painting is not even remotely relevant to mine,” Kashmir’s teenage star had tweeted. This came after Goel had posted a painting of a woman in a hijab and another naked saying, “This painting tells a story similar to Zaira and our daughters are breaking the cages to move forward. More power to our daughters”.
Lending support to Zaira, 26-year-old Qasim said, “She has set an example by speaking what she truly believes in. Kashmiris, who abuse Zaira are illiterate, uneducated and do not represent us.It was our moral responsibility to stand by her and make her feel safe after she posted an apology, instead some nonsense people burnt down her pictures. Such disgrace and shame,” he said adding, “I am not saying that working in Bollywood is right or something we should encourage, rather we should invite this 16-year-old girl towards righteousness and guide her”.
Some masked protestors had burnt posters of the 16-year-old Dangal actress during a protest in downtown Srinagar on Friday.
On burning of her pictures in the Valley, Qasim, an MBA graduate, said, “This has to stop. Jaahil Qaum hae Kashmir (Kashmir community is ignorant). We are only pushing her away”.
“Zaira is an intelligent, bright and awesome kid who needs us,” added Qasim, whose parents advocate Kashmir’s “merger” with Pakistan.