Even as a fresh spell of bullying of Dangal girl, Zaira Wasim was witnessed in restive Kashmir after congregational Friday prayers on January 20, she has fetched support from unexpected quarters. Muhammad Bin Qasim aka MBQ son of hard-line separatist leader Syeda Asiya Andrabi has appealed people not to bully Zaira but to “guide her towards righteousness.” Qasim, who is presently pursuing his graduation in Malaysia, took to Facebook to vent out his feelings and termed Zaira “a girl of substance”. Eldest of the two sons of Asiya and her jailed husband Dr Qasim Faktoo, who is serving life imprisonment, Muhammad Bin Qasim, is often seen as a “sensitive youth whose childhood was scripted by struggle as both his parents were often jailed.”
However, in tune with the policy of his mother and father, who are known for their “hard-line stand” in separatist politics, the son has cautiously reacted to the controversy surrounding Zaira. Though not supporting her entry into Bollywood, MBQ maintained that she has “set an example by speaking truth.” Some days back his mother had appealed Zaira to “return from filth of Bollywood and that doors of Kashmir were open for her.”
Here’s what MBQ posted on Facebook:
I do not know #zaira wasim personally but after reading her posts and recent tweets, i must say she is a girl of substance. I am not posting this status to applaud her brilliant performance in Dangal, but how she stood up against hypocrite and biased people around us especially Indian media and indian citizens after meeting Mehbooba. She has set an example by speaking what she truly believes in. Kashmiri’s who abuse #Zaira are illiterate, uneducated and do not represent us. It was our moral responsibility to stand by her and make her feel safe after she posted an apology, instead some nonsense people burned down her pictures. Such a disgrace and shame. I am not saying that working in Bollywood is right or something we should encourage, rather we should invite this 16 year old girl towards righteousness and guide her. Not burn her pictures. This has to stop, JAAHIL QAWM hae kashmir. We are only pushing her away, #Zaira is an intelligent, bright and awesome kid who needs us!
16-year-old girl, who played Aamir Khan’s daughter in blockbuster Dangal, took social media by storm on January 16, when she posted an apology on her Facebook account saying she doesn’t deserve to be anyone’s role model. She however subsequently removed the post.
