Hina Bayat wants men falsely alleging blasphemy in Lahore incident to apologise

Actor took to Instagram with strong video message condemning men who think they are ‘custodians of religion’

Renowned Pakistani actor Hina Bayat has taken to Instagram to condemn the recent mob attack in Lahore targetting a young woman over her dress. The incident unfolded in Lahore's Ichra Bazaar on Sunday when a horde of angry men confronted a woman wearing a kurta with Arabic calligraphy, mistakenly assuming it contained blasphemous content.

Hina, reacting strongly to the incident, posted a video message on Instagram, questioning the actions of the mob and challenging the essence of proclaiming a religious identity. Launching a firm broadside, she stated, “Are we worthy of being called Muslims? We harass a woman in a market on merely some letters written on her clothes. We give her death threats and then make her apologise.” 

“An apology for what? The apology must come from men who think of themselves as the custodians of religion,” she maintained, calling for accountability. Hina asserted that those responsible for the harassment should face punishment and issue an apology. 

Urging a collective effort to ensure the safety and dignity of women in society, the actor declared, “They must be punished in addition to an apology so that no person in the future can dare to step beyond legal and religious boundaries to harass a woman. If this really is an Islamic state, then such laws must be enforced and the ‘black’ laws must be repealed."

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Hina Bayat (@hinakhwajabayatofficial)

The viral video on social media captured the terrified woman seeking refuge in a shop, vehemently denying any blasphemous act. Prompt intervention by a police team, led by Gulberg Circle Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Syeda Shehrbano Naqvi, averted a potential tragedy. ASP Naqvi addressed the crowd with authority, assuring them that no blasphemous act had occurred and urging trust in her team's expertise in handling similar situations in the past.

The Arabic calligraphy on the dress, bearing the word ‘halwa’ that means sincerity, love and humanity, from a popular clothing brand, was verified by senior police officials and confirmed to be unrelated to any Quranic verse. The woman, in her statement, rejected the blasphemy allegations, emphasising her deep respect for Islam as she hailed from a religious family.

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