Sonakshi-Zaheer, Shah Rukh -Gauri, Katrina-Vicky: What Makes Bollywood Marriages So Secular?
New
Age Islam News Bureau
30
June 2024
• Sonakshi-Zaheer, Shah Rukh -Gauri, Katrina-Vicky:
What Makes Bollywood Marriages So Secular?
• ‘Violation Of Islamic Laws’: Pakistan Chief Justice
Condemns Killing Women In The Name Of Honour
• Russian Political Scientist Yana Amelina: Islamic Radicalism in Russia Very Different
from Its Counterparts in Arab World
• Pak CJI Slams 'Unlawful' Killing Of Women Over
Adultery Charges
• First Lady of the Philippines visits Sheikh Zayed
Grand Mosque
• Iran U20 Women's Volleyball Team Down New Zealand In
Friendly
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
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Sonakshi-Zaheer, Shah Rukh -Gauri, Katrina-Vicky: What
Makes Bollywood Marriages So Secular?
Jun 30, 2024
After months of speculation, Sonakshi Sinha tied the
knot with her long-term beau Zaheer Iqbal, in an intimate, yet high on love
ceremony on June 23, surrounded by close friends and family. The same evening,
the newly married couple hosted a star-studded reception, where the duo,
insanely in love, danced to the beats of Bollywood numbers the entire night,
with Sonakshi looking resplendent in her bright red saree, Sindoor and traditional
jewelry, while her husband looked dapper in a white traditional ensemble.
Sounds dreamy, doesn't it? However, as much as the couple and their family
seemed elated, netizens went into overdrive saying that the Sinhas were
'unhappy' with the union, since Iqbal is a Muslim. Eventually, the trolling got
so bitter that the newly married couple had to disable the comments section on
their IG, even as the bride's father Shatrughan Sinha called it the 'wedding of
the century', in a heart-warming wedding video shared soon after the ceremony.
As we wait for Sonakshi Sinha-Zaheer Iqbal's honeymoon
pics, here's a throwback to the time when the actress explored Egypt's ancient
wonders in style
While they might be the newest, and the most visible
(thanks to social media) interfaith couple, they are definitely not an isolated
case, as for decades, Bollywood has seen some beautiful interfaith reunions,
that have transpired the traditional boundaries of religion, family dynamics
and bitter rivalries, commonly seen in the layman world. (and on the silver
screen!) Interestingly, Zaheer's father Iqbal Ratansi, had earlier quoted that
the two in fact, are having a civil ceremony and that Sonakshi will not convert
to Islam for sure. With that noble thought, let's take a look at some
interfaith reunions of Bollywood that have survived many storms, but religion
was not one of them...
When it comes to inter-religious couples, this union
stands as a benchmark of selfless love that has spanned more than three
decades! Initially hailing from Delhi, Gauri and Shah Rukh met through common
friends and the King Of Romance fell in love with her at first sight! After
making SRK run around a little bit, Gauri eventually gave in, and the duo tied
the knot in 1991, long before SRK became the superstar we know today. The
couple, along the way were blessed with three kids, namely Aryan, Suhana, and
AbRam, who was born via surrogacy in 2013.
Our Punjabi kudi Kareena Kapoor met Saif Ali Khan on
sets, and after a brief friendship, started dating him in 2007. Saif, a half
Muslim (his mother Sharmila Tagore is a Bengali Hindu), had been previously
married to Amrita Singh and shares two children with her, namely son Ibrahim,
and daughter Sara. Coming back to Saif and Kareena, the duo dated for several
years before tying the knot in 2012. They are now blessed with two boys namely,
Taimur and Jeh.
Undoubtedly one of the most adorable couples in tinsel
town, Riteish Deshmukh-Genelia D'Souza incidentally started seeing each other
soon after starring together in their debut movie in 2003, when Genelia was all
of 16! As they both navigated their careers, their relationship withstood the
test of time, and the duo tied the knot in a traditional Maharashtrian Hindu
ceremony in 2012, followed by a Church wedding. The couple is blessed with two
sons, namely sons Riaan and Rahyl.
A classic case of opposites attract, Swara and Fahad
met each other at a protest rally in Delhi, and over a period of time, fell in
love. The duo tied the knot last year, and soon welcomed their daughter
Raabiya. On the couple's first anniversary, Swara said, "Fahad & I
certainly rushed into marriage, but were friends for 3 years prior. It was a
love neither of us noticed blossoming, perhaps because the differences between
us were many. Hindu-Muslim was only the most obvious. I’m older than Fahad
& we come from different worlds: a big city girl from an ethnically mixed
English speaking family & a small town boy from a traditional Western UP
family that speaks Urdu & Hindustani. I’m an actress in Hindi films, he’s a
research scholar, activist & politician. But our liberal arts education
& values gave us a shared language of political beliefs & a common
vision for our society & country. After months of intense communication
& night long conversations, I asked Fahad what next. He said though we were
worlds apart, we were very compatible, he was very fond of me & if I waited
2-3 years for him to ‘settle’ we could marry. I was stunned but also disarmed
by his confidence & candour. Our families were concerned, but we stood by
our love. Our shocked parents accepted our BIG decision, though hesitantly
& after gently laying out concerns. When they met us together, I think they
felt reassured. We were married under the SMA one year ago today. Fittingly, a
relationship that began at a protest to preserve the Constitution was
solemnised under constitutional provisions."
As different as chalk and cheese, these two, under no
circumstances would have come together, as they themselves say, but love truly
always finds a way! Soha once mentioned in one of her interviews with a leading
daily, “When I first met Kunal, I didn't even think a friendship was possible
between us, let alone being in a relationship.” Kunal too, shared similar
views, “I thought of her as this Oxford grad and could never think that we
would ever click.” However, they did click and how! The duo tied the knot in a
simple ceremony in 2015, and are now parents to daughter Inaaya.
One of the most loved couples of Bollywood, these two
came from extremely different worlds, with Katrina even saying that Vicky was
'no where on her radar' before she met him and started dating, eventually tying
the knot in a traditional Hindu ceremony (with some rituals paying homage to
Katrina's English roots) in December 2021. Incidentally, global citizen Katrina
Kaif and our Punjab da munda Vicky Kaushal were never even photographed
together before walking down the aisle. Talk about some high level secrecy!
Apart from these, couples like Richa Chadha-Ali Fazal,
Manoj Bajpayee-Shabana, Ratna Pathak Shah-Naseeruddin Shah, Suniel Shetty-Mana,
Salim Khan-Helen, too, have tied the knot outside their religions.
Gauri Khan, interior designer and King Khan Shah Rukh
Khan's wife has often spoken candidly about their interfaith reunion. While
appearing on one of the prior seasons of Koffee With Karan, Gauri had said,
'There is a balance. I respect Shah Rukh’s religion but that doesn’t mean that
I would convert and become a Muslim. I don’t believe in that.' Incidentally, it
was Gauri's father (whose surname is Chibber) who initially had reservations
about her getting married outside the community, but over the years, has grown
extremely fond of his famous son-in-law.
Kareena Kapoor Khan, who is married to Saif Ali Khan,
gave her two cents on how to make marriages work. Kareena, who is also a decade
younger to her dapper husband, told India Today, “We spend so much time
discussing inter-faith (relationships). So much energy, so much that they are
10 years apart. The important thing is to have fun. The most important thing
between Saif and I is that we like each other and enjoy our company. How should
it matter what faith he follows or what his age is, that isn’t even a point of
discussion.”
Would be parents Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal met on the
sets of their movie Fukrey in 2013 and instantly hit it off. After dating for
many years, the duo tied the knot in 2022, and are now going the family way.
Speaking on their inter-faith reunion, Richa told Indian Express, "If you
stand firm with your choice and your immediate family is supportive of you,
nobody else really matters. A human being is a human being first, and when you
fall in love, your search has no filters. When you fall in love, that’s what it
is."
A lot of people tend to think interfaith unions are an
'elite' concept, and one that is reserved for the creme la de creme of the
society. However, that could not be farther from the truth. When it comes to
many actors, their background and family history was completely opposite to a
'contemporary, modern' set up, yet the thinking was far from regressive. Manoj
Bajpayee, born in a small village called Belwa near the city Bettiah in West
Champaran, Bihar is a case in point. Born to a farmer father and homemaker
mother, Manoj married Shabana (nee Neha aka Kareeb girl), in 2006, and the
couple are parents to daughter Ava Nayla. Earlier, talking about his interfaith
reunion, Manoj shared with Jist, “There were no problems, because my parents
were broad-minded and her parents were broad-minded too. That’s why we did not
face any problems. Secondly, two people have to spend their life together.
People who are wise, they never get in their way. People who are not wise, even
God can’t help them.”
While talking to Barkha Dutt on Mojo Story, Manoj also
said that more than religion, it is thinking and common values that make a
marriage work. He said, “I come from a Brahmin family, a feudal family. Her
family had a lot of reputation and prestige to their name. But surprisingly,
none of my family members ever objected to it. Never, till now.” He added,
“She’s a proud Muslim, and I’m a proud Hindu, but it doesn’t clash with each
other.”
In India they say, you don't marry a boy/girl, you
marry an entire family. And, our Bollywood couples have made sure that interfaith
or not, they not only get along with their in-laws, but that there is a lot of
mutual respect and love. Katrina Kaif, who married Vicky Kaushal in 2021, has
always showered love on Vicky's parents Sham and Veena Kaushal and said that
she has the sweetest in-laws, who call her 'Kittu'! Vicky, while acknowledging
that the two come from different worlds, believed that it was their life
principles and goals that were common, and brought them together. In an
interview with The Week magazine, Vicky said, “Katrina comes from a completely
different geography. But if you meet her family, you will see that her core
life principles are similar to mine. In terms of family, ours is a middle-class
upbringing, [where you value] what you have and how you have earned it. When we
have family get-togethers, the difference is only linguistic. Actually, I was
taken by surprise when I got to interact with her; it is not what it seems from
afar. I was a fan boy and admired her for a long time… even if she was an
astronaut, I would have fallen in love with her.”
Ironically, the concept of live and let live is alien
in a country, where interfaith marriages should be the least of anyone's
concern. Swara Bhasker, who attracted a lot of ire for marrying politician and
activist Fahad Ahmad, said that she went through a sea of irate comments from
people who neither knew her, or her husband personally! While talking to
Connect Cine recently, the Tanu Weds Manu actress said, “One of the biggest
myths of modern India is ‘love jihad’, where a Hindu girl marries a Muslim man.
This applies to me as well. An interfaith couple can actually get beaten up in
certain cities on Valentine’s Day. Lots of experts offered their opinions
during my wedding as well. But we’re talking about two consenting adults here.
What they do in their private lives, whether they get married or not, it’s up
to them. It’s nobody’s business if they’re living together, getting married in
a court, or having a Nikaah, or an Arya Samaj wedding. It’s between the man and
the woman, and their families. It’s Sonakshi’s life; she’s chosen her partner.
Her partner has chosen her. Now it’s between them and their families. I find
this a very time-wasting debate.”
Talking about newlyweds Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer
Iqbal, Swara said, “Wait and watch, when they have a child, there will be a
separate debate around the child’s name. We’ve seen it happen with Kareena and
Saif’s kids, and with my kid. It’s completely idiotic, but this isn’t going to
end anytime soon.”
Source: Times Of India
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‘Violation Of Islamic Laws’: Pakistan Chief Justice
Condemns Killing Women In The Name Of Honour
29-06-2024
Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Qazi Faez Isa |
Photo: X
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Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Qazi Faez Isa said
on Saturday that women in the country were killed in the name of honour without
fulfilling the Islamic condition of producing four witnesses in cases of
adultery.
Speaking at a conference for justice here on the topic
of 'Access to Justice for All,’ the Chief Justice said that the constitution
mandates women's representation across all sectors.
He lamented a disregard for social history within the
Muslim community and condemned the misuse of honour killings in the name of
dignity. He said that according to Islamic teachings, “the condition of four
witnesses is necessary (to prove the act of adultery) but women are killed in
the name of honour in violation of Islamic laws.”
He also said that accusing a woman of adultery is
called a ‘Qazf’ and is punishable in Islam and under laws in Pakistan.
“Accusing or desecrating a woman is punishable by 80 lashes in the Quran,"
he said, adding he had not heard anyone punished for wrongly accusing a woman
of adultery.
The chief justice reiterated that denying women their
rightful inheritance is a serious offence against Islamic principles,
highlighting such cases often arise where sons claim to have received property
as a gift after the death of their father and the deceased daughters are
deprived of share.
He said that the Constitution guarantees the
protection of women in the workplace and all children, boys and girls, from 5
to 16 years of age are entitled to free education.
The chief justice said that the first word of the
Quran is Iqra which does not differentiate between the two (men and women). He
said that “there is a Qazf in Islam and our law.”
Justice Isa said that Article 25 of the Constitution
ensures equal treatment, emphasising that women not only enter the National
Assembly through reserved seats but also win elections and become
parliamentarians.
He stressed women's participation in every sector,
adding new laws can be adopted to protect women's rights.
Source: Outlook India.Com
https://www.outlookindia.com/international/honour-killings-in-pakistan-women-qazi-faez-isa-condemns
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Russian Political Scientist Yana Amelina: Islamic Radicalism in Russia Very Different
from Its Counterparts in Arab World
Paul Goble
30-06-2024
Staunton, June 25 – Many make the mistake in thinking
that Islamist radicalism in the Russian Federation is the same as its
counterpart in the Arab world, Yana Amelina says; but in fact, it is very
different in that it is not confined to the poorest parts of society but rather
reflects a political choice that even the wealthiest and most powerful may
make.
The coordinator of the Caucasus Geopolitical Club and
a long-time specialist on the North Cacausus says that in the wake of the
Derbent and Makhachkala attacks, “it is
incorrect to transpose on Russian realities the particular features of radical
Islamism in Arab countries, southeast Asia and so on” (ukraina.ru/20240624/1055824673.html).
“Our radical Islamists,” Amelina argues, “have come
from the most varied strata of society, including the highly placed with people
from wealth families and good educations also joining this trend. In Russi,
radical Islamism is a religious-ideological choice and not a low-paying job.”
Because of the military operation in Ukraine, however,
many in Moscow and elsewhere have failed to recognize this and to see the real
nature of Islamist radicalism in Russia and how it is becoming ever more
dangerous with its adepts not going “into the forests” as before but engaging
in suicidal attacks in cities, she continues.
Moscow must shut down the social networks that
communicate the ideas behind such moves and recognize that those carrying out
such attacks are working for the West. That is why these Islamists are focusing
not on building an Islamic state but on separating the North Caucasus from
Russia and promoting Russia’s disintegration.
Up to now, as has just happened in Dagestan, the
Islamists in Russia have attacked Christian and Jewish targets; but there is a
growing possibility that they will turn their fire not on churches and
synagogues but on Russian tourists visiting the region. That is something
Moscow must do everything in its power to prevent, Amelina concludes.
Source: Windowoneurasia2
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2024/06/islamic-radicalism-in-russia-very.html
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Pak CJI slams 'unlawful' killing of women over
adultery charges
Jun 30, 2024
ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Qazi Faez
Isa said on Saturday women in the country were killed in the name of honour
without fulfilling the Islamic condition of producing four witnesses in cases
of adultery.
Speaking at a conference here on 'Access to Justice
for All,' the Chief Justice said that the constitution mandates women's
representation across all sectors.
He lamented a disregard for social history within the
Muslim community and condemned the misuse of honour killings in the name of
dignity. He said according to Islamic teachings, "the condition of four
witnesses is necessary (to prove the act of adultery)."
He also said that accusing a woman of adultery is
called a 'Qazf' and is punishable in Islam and under laws in Pakistan.
"Accusing or desecrating a woman is punishable by 80 lashes in the
Quran," he said, adding he had not heard anyone punished for wrongly
accusing a woman of adultery.
Source: Times Of India
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshowprint/111370097.cms
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First Lady of the Philippines visits Sheikh Zayed
Grand Mosque
June 29, 2024
Abu Dhabi: Louise Araneta-Marcos, First Lady of the
Philippines, visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi.
The First Lady was accompanied by Alfonso Ferdinand,
Ambassador of the Philippines to the UAE, and Mohamed ObaidAlqataamAlzaabi, UAE
Ambassador to the Philippines, alongside Dr. Yousef Al Obaidli,
Director-General of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre in Abu Dhabi,
During the tour, the delegation were briefed about the
mosque’s noble message that highlights values of coexistence, tolerance, and
openness to other cultures, inspired by the late Founding Father Sheikh Zayed
bin Sultan Al Nahyan's rich legacy. They also learned about the mosque’s
leading role in highlighting the Islamic culture’s true essence and promoting
cross-cultural communication worldwide.
At the end of the visit, the guest was presented with
two of the Centre’s distinctive publications. The first titled “Spaces of
Light,” showcasing the winning photographs in the “Spaces of Light” photography
award, annually organised by the Centre in celebration of the scenic aesthetics
and visual culture of the mosque, and another copy of a book titled “Houses of
God” about places of worship in the Islamic history.
Source: Gulfnews.Com
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Iran U20 women's volleyball team down New Zealand in
friendly
Jun 30, 2024
Iran's U20 women's national volleyball team has
departed for China to take part in the 22nd Asian U20 Women’s Volleyball Championship.
In a friendly and preparatory match, Iran secured a
victory over New Zealand with scores of 25-18, 25-10, and 25-20.
The tournament will be held in the Chinese city of
Jiangmen from July 1 to 9, 2024.
In their first match on Tuesday, Iran will face
Vietnam.
Source: En.Mehrnews.Com
https://en.mehrnews.com/news/217069/Iran-U20-women-s-volleyball-team-down-New-Zealand-in-friendly
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