Aman Ki Aasha A Shonia Initiative

Afternoon Voice

The whole world was watching this game, India at long-on, Pakistan at long-off, Sania to with a racket, Shoaib to bowl, there was protest, cheering and applauding. Finally, Sania was clean bowled by a love googly of Shoaib Malik. The game was covered by the whole world media on their 24x365 (ir) respective news channels. Which showcase such issues as an event which seems to be larger than war? 

Last time I saw such things in a movie named ‘Gadar’ and ‘Veer Zaara’, where an Indian hunk goes to Pakistan, fights with unjust society and unloving people to get his wife back, was successful in doing so. But this time, it’s opposite. This time a Pakistani guy came to India and flew back with his princess after (lots of) dramas. Why every time in Indian movies, Pakistani female fall in love with Indian male? (Isn’t it a Double standard of Indian film industry to maintain a male pride of a country)?

 Following this incident, reactions in both the countries was notably more enthusiastic. Current Miss Pakistan, Ayesha Gilani said “at least people can look up to them as a beacon of hope and peace for Pak-Indo relations”. Also former Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif suggested political differences between the countries could be resolved through a similar positive approach. Another minister even urged that Sania should play for Pakistan. OK, If India agrees to their opinion, I want to ask Miss Ayesha and former PM, will you have same opinion if Pakistani celebrity Nadia Khan marries Indian cricketer Zaheer Khan or actor Salman Khan? (Purposely I didn’t mention any non Muslim name because Shonia marriage was inter religion marriage). First time, I agreed with BAL Thackeray’s view who commented that “had her heart been an Indian, it wouldn’t have beaten for Pakistani; if she wished to play for India she should have chosen an Indian life partner.” It is not marriage which had hurt Indians (esp. Non Muslims), it is the Male Pride of India which got hurt. I am sure if Zaheer Khan would have married some Pakistani celebrity, Mr. Thackeray would have commented in similar fashion how Pakistani former PM commented.

But here the issue is something else; here the question is to focus on cross border marriage between the two sports celebrities. Ever since the creation of India and Pakistan, it has become really difficult for a couple to sustain their marriage or affair. There are many adjustments and compromises which a cross border marriage has to deal with. Due to the lack of these qualities, many relations such as Reena Roy-Mohsin Khan, Amrita Arora-Usman Afzal and Zeenat Aman-Imran Khan have landed up into breaking. The relationship of India and Pakistan cannot be ignored at any time which itself lead the couple to challenge each other’s loyalty. Pakistan is a traditionalist country. Here, the question is, the upbringing of Sania in India which has affected her belief, lifestyle and perspective, would she be able to live her life like any other ordinary Pakistani girl? (Remember Jemima Khan, who opted for divorce with Imran Khan as she wasn’t able to adjust in traditional country of Pakistan). Issues regarding Sania’s clothing while playing have already posed two fatwa’s against her by Indian Muslim Maulanas. Acceptance of her lifestyle by Pakistani people (aggression), conflicts between the two nations, unusual celebrity’s norms for visa regulation have already force them to take a decision for living together in neutral country of Dubai, even before their marriage.

Dr. Sanjay Chugh, going towards Sania’s way said that people across the border are as loving and caring as people here. No doubt Mr. Sanjay is right, but if this is the case, why did we create border? People are same, but belief, lifestyle and perspective differs. Considering a right time of business and popularity, Shaadi.com carried out a survey concluding 61.2 percent people don’t mind looking their spouse in Pakistan. Gaurav Rakshit, business head of shaadi.com said this survey was surprising as well as pleasant adding that people are genuinely open towards cross border marriage emphasizing how broad minded South Asian have become. Why don’t these matrimony companies take a break? Forget about ordinary people registered with true and fake ID to their site who agree for cross border marriages, what about at celebrity level? Will the system and people agree, if celebrities representing country marries at the time when country’s population is demanding for war? Last time the sport celebrity’s level cross border marriage was seen 18 years ago between Indian golfer Nonita Lal and Pakistani golfer champion Faisal Qureshi, who did stay in Sri Lanka for two years because of visa problem but continue to stay in Delhi afterwards. But at that time, conditions were different. There was peace between these two countries. There was no war named as ‘War against terror’, there were no blame games and war-like situation.

At a time when Pakistan is fighting against terrorism (internal conflicts) a war which doesn’t seems to be ending, Shonia marriage have dominated the news headlines for more than two weeks when dozen of people were killed in terror attacks all over world. Certain aspects in this marriage couldn’t be swallowed easily. Forgetting about rest of the world, I don’t understand what was the reason behind Sania breaking her engagement and getting ready to marry becoming a second wife of a cricketer who is banned for a year by his own country cricket board. She took a decision at a time when her posters were burnt and when she was under threat that she will not be allowed to play for Commonwealth games going to be host in Delhi later this year.

The series of drama during this marriage are Shoaib Malik coming to India alone in spite of political conflicts, denying of his marriage to Ayesha Siddiqa, then accepting that he was married telephonically but was ditched and finally divorcing the girl under Islamic law. All these dramas were constantly under media coverage. This has created a rift and difference in opinion amongst Indian Muslim Maulanas regarding the telephonic nikaah is allowed or not. Many got a chance to pose a question tauntingly that how a couple can get married on telephone? Even there is a case filed against Malik in Hyderabad for hurting Muslim sentiments by telling several lies. This marriage under 24 hour coverage forces me to think whether they were used as a pawn in a bigger political game? It was an ordinary affair but it seems there were some vested interests which kept this marriage pot boiling. Was this a strategy to hide something from media under the cover of this celebrity’s marriage? But I hope with this marriage, the aggravation has come to an end.

The media all over the world would left couple alone and have not covered their first wedding night opinion and honeymoon trip. For the past so many years, we are hearing about cross-border terrorism between India and Pakistan. But Shonia marriage claims to convert it into cross-border matrimony. I hope to see the same replacing terrorism between the countries that had fought three wars in last 63 years. But as far as now, what I can see is Shonia are been given president kind welcome in Pakistan, dancing on the streets outside Malik’s house, not because a Pakistani cricketer is married, it is because (it’s painful for India), the Pakistani community all over the world are happy to pass a nationalistic joke amongst themselves that “Finally, we get to see a Pakistani boy screwing an Indian girl”.

How easy it has become for the people in the pride of their nation by acquiring a mutual hatred between the countries to use words like these from the same religion for a women who offers her Namaz five times a day also a better Muslim as compared to many other Pakistani who fail to do so.