In Pakistan
However, photos in the Pakistani media have shown Bakhtiar being helped by a male instructor during a charity parachute jump in France last month to raise money for victims of the devastating October 2005 earthquake in Pakistan.
Another picture shows a woman – apparently Bakhtiar – hugging the instructor.
Two clerics at Islamabad’s Red Mosque, in reaction to the media report, issued a fatwa demanding her dismissal, two days after setting up a court to deliver Islamic justice in a bold challenge to President General Pervez Musharraf. [I didn’t hug instructor: Pak minister]
In India
The cultural capital of the country Varanasi has reacted sharply to the kissing by Hollywood actor Richard Gere of Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty during an HIV/AIDS awareness programme at New Delhi.
The self-styled cultural cops of Shiv Sena took out a procession and torched an effigy of Shetty to register their protest at Luxa area here today. The Shiv Sainiks were raising slogans such as ‘Shilpa Shetty hosh mein aao’, ‘Hindustan ki sanskriti se khilwad band karo’ and ‘nari ka apman band karo’.[Sainiks torch Shilpa Shetty’s effigy]
Next time Manmohan Singh sees Musharraf, he better not hug him.
These are best examples to show how some dumbos use religion, culture etc to uphold their dumbness. And they are everywhere, regardless of religion and borders.
I just remembered a scene from Swades (A brilliant Hindi movie in the recent times) where the grama pramukhs say “We have something they (foreigners) do not have – Samkriti, parampara” etc. And there is a reply dialogue of the character that Shah Rukh Khan plays. I wish these dumbos really understand what it says.
Considering the stronghold of Bal Thackeray over Mumbai and Bollywood, we might see a public apology from Shilpa pretty soon!
I tend to disagree with your take on the Gere-Shetty situation. I’ve already responded to this via my blog here
Sanjay,
If Shilpa had complained, like how she mentioned she was targeted because of her race, I would have agreed. She apparently has no issues with Mr. Gere walking all over her body in public. If she has no issue, then why are others bothered. It is ironic that the same people who complain about samskriti etc. have no problems with Mr. serial kisser’s movies.
Jo,
What Shah Rukh’s character said was something to the effect of each nation has its own culture and we should respect the culture of others. Richard Gere, who is no alien to Indian Culture should have been more sensitive to what he did on stage. As Sanjay said, Shilpa seemed to pushing him off.
If you look at movies or music videos, it essentially consists of half naked females running around. Didn’t the sensitivity of this culture police get offended then?
Shilpa needs no defence from such people for she has the money and clout to defend herself, but that is not true of many ordinary people who are being violated against their wishes. I wish this culture police did something positive with their energy instead of burning effigies of Shilpa and Richard Gere.
Richard Gere, who is no alien to Indian Culture should have been more sensitive to what he did on stage.
I agree with that. Infact, I didn’t find any meaning or conveying message in that kissing scene. If Shilpa Shetty was HIV positive, then it would have made some sense. (As in Gere was trying to convey HIV doesn’t pass on by kissing). But she is not an AIDS patient (as far as I know) and that sudden kissing drama didn’t make any sense at all.
BUT any of these reasons do not justify the actions by the moral police out on the streets. As long as Shilpa doesn’t have any problem why would they get heaten up?? As I see it, this is yet another attempt to hijack the “Indianness” by these organizations. Shiv Sena, Bajrang Dal etc. It is funny, because many of these kind of fellas were keen on raping women during communal riots.