Unfair that I have to keep asserting my Indian-ness: Sania Mirza
The sports icon spoke against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) objections over her appointment as brand ambassador of Indian state Telangana. The BJP stated that owing to her marriage to Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, Mirza was the “daughter-in-law of Pakistan” and a non-local.
“After playing for the country for many years, after saying time and again that I have an Indian passport, after winning medals for India after I got married, don't know why I have to keep justifying that I am Indian,” said Mirza.
The 27-year-old said that she was not sure whether the repeated criticism “has something to do with my gender”.
https://twitter.com/ayajshaikh/status/492637425479327744
Clarifying that people’s opinions don’t affect her, Mirza said she will not let anyone question her roots.
The tennis player claimed that she was hurt by the objections as she has given everything she has to India and Telangana. “I opened a tennis academy only so that we have more tennis players come out of the state of Telangana.”
“I don't know if it happens in any other country that you have to keep proving that you are from that country," she said, adding that she does not know if it is the case because she is married to someone from another country or because she is a woman.
Talking about her marriage to a Pakistani, Mirza said that as a sportsperson, she has never judged people according to their religion, caste or country.
“It didn't even cross my mind where my husband was from when we met. So I don't understand why this has to cross anyone else's mind,” said Mirza.
Mirza said she was glad that people supported her and spoke out against the controversy.
“I think at the end, logic prevailed. The media really stood behind me. I felt like everyone was fighting for (what is) right,” she said.
Responding to criticism that she has not taken a position on Telangana, Mirza said, that she is proud and humbled that the chief minister chose her as brand ambassador.
“I am way too stubborn (to give up being brand ambassador). I will do whatever it takes. I hope to make India and Telangana more well-known in the world of sport,” said a shaken Mirza.
“I will be Indian for as long as I live,” she said.
COMMENTS (59)
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@Safwan: Where I should check your stated figures? Yes it always happens. Whenever people start demanding their rights "peace" is made a mere dream by those who usurp them, like in Occupied Kashmir, if Kashmiris there abandon their struggle the old"peaceful" Kashmir will return. (But do not confuse the demands of Karachiites with those of Kashmiris. Here we are demanding due allocations of funds, more administrative powers to govern this mega city within the boundaries of Sind and of course Pakistan.)
@SK: India would not be in one piece had the people were confused about their identity. It is Pakistanis who are confused and we saw what happened in 1971. And that crisis is still not over.
@Patriot. N: Do not throw stones at others when you are living in a glass house.
@Bakhtiyar Ghazi Khan: You say all Muslims are one people. Try telling that to the Arabs.
Sania Mirza, you should never marry a Pakistani. There are no shortage of Indian Muslims who are bright enough. Indians do not like Pakistanis and you know why.
It is a fact that the Indianness of Indian Muslims will always be questioned because the country was divided on the basis of religion. It is sad but it is unavoidable.
@James: You are quite right. Modi at the helm will be misconstrued by some as liberty for licentious behaviour & unless the PM, who has suddenly become as silent as MM Singh, speaks the right words to his fanatical followers, Muslim, Christian & dissenting Hindu will become fair game. There used to be something called "aankh-ki-sharam" - a delicate, subtle hesitation before saying or doing something embarrassing in the presence of The Other. That's a vanishing social lubricant, now soluble in colour saffron.
@True Karachiwala If you guys stop voting for such an incompetent part like MQM things might change for the better. PS check the figures again, it's 25% at the national level and 70% at the provincial level. People do remember the pre MQM Karachi, a much more peaceful and prosperous, rising city. PS you yourself might not vote for MQM but it is undeniable that MQM receives a heavy mandate by the Urdu speaking community of Karachi even though as party it has always failed when to comes to good governance.
@Gp65: Is there a different yardstick for Amitabh Bachan who was appointed the brand ambassador of Gujarat.He is not a Gujarati ,nor is he a resident of the state.People accepted him because he is Indian.Likewise Sania should be accepted as she is Indian.Marriage to a Pakistani has not resulted in losing her citizenship.Its funny that only the BJP found it an issue.When Sania represented India in the Olympics,she was Indian even though she was married to Shoaib
@Tani: Why was there no controversy when Amitabh Bachan appointed brand ambassador of Gujarat.After all he is not a Gujarati.True reason is that after BJP won the election the RSS people have become more open in their hatred for Muslims and Christians
Hindus feel the need to lecture Muslims on who to marry or what to think of themselves. Why don't you keyboard warriors find a more productive use of your time? I'm a proud Muslim, Pakistani, and Pashtoon. I don't need anyone's approval for that. I support Sania and Shouaib's wedding 100%.
@Jahangir Chauhan - Surprisingly a mature comment from you...without any accusations against India, Hindus or seeing any conspiracies.. Best luck...
@Bakhtiyar Ghazi Khan: "...and all Muslims are one people" This is the most ridiculous statement I have come across. More Muslims are murdered and incarcerated in the name of their religion by their own compatriots. This is great in a way, because it keeps a check on their abnormal birthrate.
@Bakhtiyar Ghazi Khan:
"They don’t need the approval of anyone. Sania Mirza is a proud Muslim, and all Muslims are one people."
Well, Sani herself said she is proud Indian. She never professed to being a "proud Muslim". In fact, she has been fighting with the Mullahs who find fault with her for her dress, playign tennis and being in the company of men etc. What is it with Muslims such as you who, instead of seeing everyone as human beings first, want to divide the world into "us/we Muslims" and the rest darul harb? Do you see your narrow mentality?
sania,. do u have a green(paki) passport or blue(indian) passport, U married a pakistani and live in pakistan then u should justify being a pakistani, not indian, any ghairatmand pakistani will expect that!
@Bakhtiyar Ghazi Khan: oh really! I just want to repeat ....ALL MUSLIMS ARE ONE PEOPLE......but ahmedi,Shia,Sunni,Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arab ....ring some bells in your mind...huh?
@Biwildered she's not born in telangana. She was born in other state of india - mumbai, Maharashtra. Born Maharashtrian. Later stage in life they migrated and settled in Hyderabad a neighbour state city. And now she spends most of time outside country due to tennis and dubai home. To the MP sania's not telang, but an outsider Maharashtrian, mostly settled in Dubai and married to a foreigner (daughter in law of "enemy state") unfit for job. He prefers someone born,brought up and settled in telangana, who fought for the state and can dedicate full time to promote the new state aspiration and schemes within the country(as we are 29 states,each states vies for attention in india), and create name in the world for telang people. The parliament rejected his opinion in parliament debate. What's the fuss about when rest of parliament reject his opinion leaving him stand alone. And more importantly where did he ever raise or drag her religion into it? Isn't "Muslim" shahrukh khan ambassador for state Bengal? That did not generate any such controversy. And FYI when Amitabh Bachan become the ambassador for Gujarat wasn't that a huge controversy too? Firstly inside Gujarat for being non Gujarati and not residing in their state. Secondly his loyalty was questioned in residing state by maharastra politicians who think mumbai made him what he is today. He should their ambassador, as well as in Uttar Pradesh state politics where they think he owes them since he's UPite and born there. Now he isn't a Muslim still was targeted badly by some nasty politicians just saying.
@hamood true, but also Politicians always want attention and stir the pot by saying stupid statements like that, they are always desperate to get votes and be popular.
@Bakhtiyar Ghazi Khan: No one has questioned her right to marry whoever she wants. The issue is limited to whether it is appropriate for someone not living in India and whose husband has a Pakistani passport to be designated a brand ambassador of a state. The issue was debated as is the norm in any democracy and resolved when it was decided that Sania will after all be the brand ambassador of the newly formed state of Telangana.
Those who divided us are in their graves and we are still fighting. For What?? I met a Pakistani who came to visit India to attend a conference our company was organizing. That lady was really scared about being here. I told here more muslims live in Indian than in Pakistan. Then I took her around Hyderabad, showed her some mosques, dargahs, etc. She was really surprised that so many muslims live here. I even took her to visit some temples and other places of worship in the city. She met some of my muslim friends, and friends from other religions (Skihs, Sindhis) and even attended a Hindu wedding. At the end of the trip she was really happy and even said that though both the nations were one, once upon a time, she never came across a Hindu, Sikh or a Christain in Pakistan, and said that she did not expect to meet so many muslims in Hyderabad, who are actually proud of their Indian identity. She has invited me to Pakistan, and I am looking forward to visiting the place. Sania Mirza incident is just a one off political incident, she need not be considered as a representative of all the muslims in the country, similarly the politician who made the comment is not a mouth piece for all the Indians.
@SK: Well they have taken Karachi as there property what else they want. This "property" gives more than 70% to national exchequer and 98% to Sindh revenue, but in return is not being reimbursed just enough to pay the salaries of municipal corporations employees on time. Happy ?
Hindus are confused people with identity crises, they hate Muslims but Muslim monuments like Taj Mahal and Red Fort are symbols of national pride for them.
@True Karachiwala: Well they have taken Karachi as there property what else they want.
A marriage between two Muslims (no matter the country) is no business of Hindu extremists. They don't need the approval of anyone. Sania Mirza is a proud Muslim, and all Muslims are one people.
Love to Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza, from Peshawar.
Muslims in India are still paying the price for the creation of Pakistan. And here in Pakistan Muslims who migrated from India are still to prove their Pakistan-ness. The story of these 220 million or so Muslims (both Indians and who migrated from India) is one of the greatest tragedies of all times.
when veena malik choose to live in india,how much abuse she had to suffer from pakistanis. it is all over youtube.........so enough of the double talks fellows
I want to see a Ahmadi become the PM or President of Pak.
Sania should move to Pakistan. Here she will be made the queen and she can wear the latest fashion burqa to her heart's delight.
India Shining!
She should leave that Hindu Pit. She will be welcomed anywhere in the West.
They want you to change your religion. This way you can keep your nationality as it is so dear to you.
Thank goodness we have Pakistan.
Very grateful to Jinnah, Iqbal, others.
It's tough being a Muslim in a racist Hindu majority Indiaand, Indian Muslims will never admit it but it is true. Weather good or bad thank God I was born and live in Pakistan - a country I can truly call my own.
Leave Sania Bhabhi Alone!
Of course Indians here will try best to brush this aside, but the sad fact is every Muslim celebrity in India goes through this and has to prove their Indianess. Sad, but true. Somehow Indians despite belonging to a huge country are very insucure - thus all these cases of questioning the loyalty of muslims. And beating up students from Kashmir for cheering the Pakistani team in cricket, forgetting that Indian-British also cheer for India when India plays in the UK, and no one beats them up there. Need to grow up as a society fellas.
@Hamood:
Absurd. This has nothing to do with her religion. Muslims have been President of country, CJ, CEC, top industrialists, cricket captains, top filmstars, singers, head of country's nuclear program. The issue is limited to her non residency and the citizenship of her husband.
@shery: @Chachoo: @Ali. I: What does this have to do with democracy? Does democracy guarantee people the right to become a brand ambassador of a newly formed state? No.
Nor does this have anything to do with secularism. Shah Rukh, Amir, Salman are M uslims and brand ambassadors for several things as is Katrina Kaif. This is neither a gender issue nor an issue of religion. It simply has to do with the fact that there are people who are unhappy she married a Pakistani and lives in Dubai and therefore do not want her to represent the newly formed state where she no longer lives. The CM of the state overruled the objection and she is now the brand ambassador - which I am lad about. Such debates are normal in every society.
@Bewildered: yes. When Rajiv Gandhi became general secretary of Congress , even before he became PM, people did have a problem with Sonia having an Italian passport. Therefore in 1982, she gave up the Italian passport and became an Indian national. In this case, Sania's husband is certainly not an Indian cirizen, nor is he likely to become.
Were questions not initially raised when it came to light that Ch. Nissar's wife has US citizenship?
These things happen, India is a big country with people of different kind of approach and thinking, My suggestion do not take them seriously.
I feel really bad for you :( Don't worry nothing will happen to you, the world hasn't come to an end. You're a great tennis player and you have millions of fans who love in India!
From a Pakistani guy :)
@Sania: If you are reading this, I hope that you spend at least half the energy you spent on this to practice tennis. As you can guess, I never liked you because most of the time you seemed more bothered about corporate sponsorship than getting anywhere in tennis.
As you may have guessed also, I am a fan of Saina Nehwal. She hardly gets any attention, but despite the hurdles against her, she has succeeded again and again.
If it helps sania.shoaib can be called son in law of India.nobody is bothered in Pakistan if you keep him there forever.
It’s not just her its story of all Indian Muslims RT @ndtv: Unfair I've to assert my Indian-ness: Sania in tears. This is the bare truth. Indians won't believe it, even if they believe it won't accept it. Religion caste and creed plays a big part in India...can't help it. The xenophobia against Pakistan is there to be seen and heard. Will take huge effort to undo this.
True face of so called world's biggest democracy in fact world's biggest hypocrisy.
Salute to Jinnah's Two-Nation theory!!!!!
@Its (still) Economy Stupid: Gen. Singh's daughter-in-law may be a US citizen but she is native of Pakistan and a muslim. Even Dawood Gilani aka David Headley was also a US citizen.
Well they didn't brand Rajiv Gandhi Italian or the son-in-law of Italy after he married Sonia. Is Sania's case has to do something with her gender or religion?
Majority of Indians love her and are proud of her every citizen of this country is free to marry any one she or he loves or deem fit but Zaid Hamid and Parveen Togdian are also their on both sides but we don't care such people. We are proud of you my baby may you live long you need not prove your loyality to India those who are questioning your loyality are them selves are not loyal.
Once again...So called Indian Scholar Democracy exposed....
@yousufhaque Do you even know the controversy is all about? She's appointed brand ambassador of new state Telengana by Telengana govt. One bjp MP of opposition said how can you appoint her brand ambassador of their state she's an outsider(Maharashtrian), didn't fight for cause of forming the new state that took decades & decades to make. And is now married to not indian but a foreigner, enemy state guy. They attacked govt saying it was done keeping election in mind to appease Hyderabad population. Instead a person born and brought up in telangana who fought for separate state cause should be chosen. Sania is born in Maharashtra and only later settled in Hyderabad. " the indian interviewer couldn't keep her india Mindset hidden at the end and asked her to prove her patriotism". The interviewer is the most anti bjp, pseudo secular journalist. Rest assured she always have anti bjp pro congress i.e. pro minority anti majority Mindset. Sania mirza is brand ambassador of Telengana now. I hope you know want is the job of the ambassador.It comes with responsibilities and jobs to promote schemes,causes and welfare in her state as well as promote her state in the country.. She's asking her how she will and what she will do for telegana now that she's the new ambassador of the state. Its a common question asked to all ambassadors of any causes. It's you have to change your anti india mindset of searching things out of nothing.
@Hamood: She is Indian first! Her religion doesnt matter. Her marriage with a guy from a hostile country will certainly invite controversies. If an Indian Muslim Guy had married a pakistani girl we can expect the same kind of outcry from Pakistan.
@Sudhanshu Swami: A very good and logical answer to Sania's feelings.
It’s not just her its story of all Indian Muslims Rubbish! Army chief Bikram Singh had to face the same issue. It is nothing personal.The defence ministry had sought a detailed clearance from intelligence agencies on his eldest daughter-in-law, who was said to be a Pakistani citizen. But intelligence agencies rubbished this and in fact informed the defence ministry that the daughter-in-law is a US citizen.
She even thanked 80%percent indians who stood behind her why was that edited? Pseudo seculars seeking trps always have to paint it in religious way. Isn't sonia gandhi too targeted for being outsider? She isn't a Muslim. Haven't shoib too received criticism from his own country during his poor performance as "oh ,of course he will play poorly now he married to an indian" "he has lost his patriotism" "pro india now" aren't all those actors ali zafar etc who come to india to work called traitors back stabbing their own country choosing and enemy country to work in? Is it because of religion?
The interviewer despite her outwardly praising Sania could not keep her Indian mindset hidden when she in the end of interview asked Sania that 'she-should-prove' her patriotism.Its a shame for Indians to ask a person to prove that she is an Indian when she for years at end has been representing that country and bringing honour for them to rejoice.I sincerely pity that poor girl for having been criticised just because her husband is from Pakistan
Another usual day in the Secular India.
Sania, its not because you are a woman, its because you are a Muslim. Everybody knows that.