Islamic cleric faces flak for hateful remark on Swara Bhasker's inter-faith marriage

Noted radio host and activist RJ Sayema came to the defence of Bollywood actor Swara Bhasker’s marriage to Samajwadi Party leader Fahad Zirar Ahmad after an Islamic cleric made a hateful comment about the actor’s interfaith marriage.

Swara Bhasker is a noted Indian actress who has played award-winning roles in popular Hindi flicks like Tanu Weds Manu Returns and Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. She is the recipient of two Screen Awards and was nominated to Filmfare three times. In recent times she has been known for her activism.

Swara Bhasker announced on Twitter that she tied the knot to Fahad Zirar, and the post immediately went viral. However, Dr Yasir Nadeem Al Wajidi, a Chicago-based magazine Editor and scholar, declared that the marriage was invalid because the partners were from different faiths.

RJ Sayema told off Dr Yasir, which led to a spate of tweets in which Sayema defended Swara’s choice to marry a person of her choice. Meanwhile, Fawad took to Twitter to declare his love for Swara and thanked her for holding his hand.

Soon other users also chipped in and argued that religious scholars should not pass judgment on people's personal matters. Many Twitter users appreciated Sayema for coming out openly in favour of interfaith marriage. 

In a country like India, where interfaith marriages are still met with suspicion and hostility, Sayema's actions demonstrate a willingness to challenge the status quo and to stand up for what is right.

This article originally appeared in AwazTheVoice, and has been reproduced with explicit permission