PAKISTANI actress Veena Malik, castigated for appearing to cuddle with actor Ashmit Patel on a reality show, lashed out at a Muslim cleric who had criticised her during a widely watched television excha-nge this week.
The unusual outburst, punctuated by tears, came at a sensitive time in a country where Islamic fundamentalism is spreading and liberals are increasingly afraid to express their views. “What is your problem with me? You tell me your problem!” an angry Veena Malik asked the scholar, who accused her of insulting Islam.
Malik, 26, participated recently on Bigg Boss, an Indian version of Big Brother. Clips of the show on the Internet include ones in which she appears cozy with Patel. Those scenes, and her involvement with a show in Pakistan’s archrival India, prompted criticism online and on the air. “You have insulted Pakistan and Islam,” Mufti Abdul Qawi accused her on the Express TV channel talk show via a television link. The exchange first aired on Friday and then again on Saturday. A furious Malik shot back, saying Qawi targeted her because she is a woman, reminding him that the Quran admonishes men not to stare at a woman’s beauty beyond a first glance, and telling him there were bigger problems in Pakistan, including the alleged rape of children at mosques. —PTI