How Zaira Wasim put sports minister Vijay Goel in place over hijabs
Dangal star Zaira Wasim, who was recently trolled on social media, found herself creating a bit of a stir on Twitter again after she entered into a war of words with BJP minister of youth affairs and sports Vijay Goel.
Goel, who inaugurated the India Art Fest at Thyagraj Stadium in Delhi, on January 18, tweeted a photo of a painting which depicted a woman wearing hijab juxtaposed against the image of a woman inside a cage. He captioned it, “This painting tells a story similar to Zaira Wasim. Pinjara tod kar humari betiyaan badhne lagi hai aage (Our daughters have managed to break free from the cage and move forward). More power to our daughters!”
Inaugurated the #India Art Fest at Thyagraj Stadium,Delhi. 6 nations, 100+ stalls & more than 4000 artistes are participating this year!1/2 pic.twitter.com/D65QBq3mg8
— Vijay Goel (@VijayGoelBJP) January 19, 2017
This painting tells a story similar to @zairawasim, पिंजरा तोड़ कर हमारी बेटियां बढ़ने लगी हैं आगे | More power to our daughters! 2/2 pic.twitter.com/RaolLKrZeg
— Vijay Goel (@VijayGoelBJP) January 19, 2017
The 16-year-old actress did not take too kindly to this. “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. Moreover, the story depicted through this painting is not even remotely relevant to mine,” she said.
@VijayGoelBJP Sir, with all respect to you, I feel I must disagree. I request you not to connect me to such a discourteous depiction. (1/3) https://t.co/BIgWVstqZh
— Zaira Wasim (@zairawasim) January 20, 2017
@VijayGoelBJP Women in hijab are beautiful and free (2/3)
— Zaira Wasim (@zairawasim) January 20, 2017
@VijayGoelBJP Moreover, the story depicted through this painting is not even remotely relevant to mine. (3/3)
— Zaira Wasim (@zairawasim) January 20, 2017
The sports minister tried to clarify his stance, after Twitter users accused Goel of veiled Islamophobia. But regardless of what anyone has to say, the issue of women wearing hijab is anything but black-and-white.
You have interpreted wrong. I appreciated your work and stated that evil and patriarchal notions must be discouraged. https://t.co/OPBy5EZifN
— Vijay Goel (@VijayGoelBJP) January 20, 2017
I'm afraid you still haven't understood. But I wish you all the very best and appreciate your work. Hope to meet & interact too. https://t.co/h2RK3K3zIB
— Vijay Goel (@VijayGoelBJP) January 20, 2017
The idea of women donning this headscarf to secure their modesty in front of other people, especially males, is a thoroughly regressive and misogynistic notion. It’s been reinforced for centuries to the point that it has become not just practice, but something of a habit for Muslim women. And condemning archaic and abstract religious laws should always be encouraged.
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| Rebuking the sports minister, Wasim wrote, “Sir, with all respect to you, I feel I must disagree". [Photo: DailyO] |
That being said, the BJP, and its members have always demonstrated a penchant for taking digs at Islam. The minister, though seemed to have been speaking of progressive thought, may just be disguising his bigotry in the name of “fighting the patriarchy”.
Additionally, while it is abhorrent that men or religious scriptures should tell women to dress modestly, so as not to evoke unintended lust in men, telling women what not to wear, in the name of progress, also treads the same line. At the end of the day, it is a man telling women what they can or cannot wear and that is genuinely the opposite of “fighting the patriarchy”.