Actor Sunita Marshall is being lauded for gracefully handling a callous host, who asked intrusive questions about her faith and subtly probed her to speak about why she hasn’t converted to Islam yet.
Marshall, a Christian married to actor Hassan Ahmed, maintained that she has no plans to convert, and there is no such pressure on her either.
Fellow celebrities like Anoushey Ashraf and Nadia Afgan also slammed YouTuber Nadir Ali for putting Marshall in a “tough position” that could potentially “threaten her life.” Social media users also condemned the host for asking “irrelevant” questions about the actor’s faith.
During the podcast, Ali questioned Marshall why she hasn’t converted to Islam yet when her in-laws, husband, and father are Muslims. “There is no pressure on converting to Islam from Hassan or his family. However, people sometimes comment on Instagram, but it doesn’t matter to me,” she said, adding that people should only change their religion if their heart accepts it fully; otherwise, it is useless.
Although she had responded to the question, Ali further probed whether her in-laws’ extended family ever pressured her into converting. “No one has ever told me to change my religion; they are all very good to me,” she maintained her calm.
Marshall also spoke about how her inter-faith marriage wasn’t spontaneous or impulsive, but the couple had discussed the future challenges before they tied the knot. “You need to have an understanding before getting married so it doesn’t create any issues in the future. We had decided before our marriage that our kids will follow Islam because I am living with in-laws, and they can teach the kids better as their father, and grandparents are Muslims,” she said.
The Pinjra actor also highlighted why she did not want to go through with the “current trend” of letting the kids decide which religion they wish to choose when they grow up. “It is also a cultural thing, as the kids take their father’s name. My kids recite Quran, offer prayers and fast in Ramadan. I have kept them in one direction, or else they would have gotten confused,” she exclaimed, adding that she is genuinely happy with how everything is going.
About their wedding, Marshall revealed that the couple had two wedding ceremonies, one according to Islam and the other to Christianity. “We first had a nikah, and then we had a ceremony at a church. I wore my white gown and all.”
Afgan took to her Instagram Stories and shared a clip from the said interview going viral on social media (for all the wrong reasons). She then sided with Marshall and wrote, “So proud of you for handling this downright disgraceful line of questioning, so gracefully. As for Nadir, the only thing this did for you is that now we know there’s a village of idiots, and the population is flourishing,” the Suno Chanda actor commented.
Ashraf highlighted how such questions could be dangerous for people of non-Muslim faiths, given how sensitive Pakistanis are. “Why ask such a question? Isn’t it a personal choice? And knowing that backlash, technicalities and questions by most Pakistanis, why would you put someone in such a position? Anyhow, she handled it well. Kudos to Sunita, and it’s awesome that you both have made it work. A great example of mature people.”
A tweep was flattered by the actor’s response and respect for her family. “This is why Sunita Marshall is and always has been a stellar personality. She respects her husband, her in-laws, her family and herself. What a great response, and this man should be ashamed of himself.”
Meanwhile, Nadir Ali has issued an apology saying his intention was not to “hurt anyone”.
Taking to Instagram, Ali posted a picture with Sunita and an apology.
“My intentions during the podcast with Sunita Marshall were not to hurt her or anyone’s feelings at all. It was just out of curiosity that I asked her about her plans of conversion to Islam,” Ali clarified.
He further wrote: “Religion is a personal choice and I respect people of all beliefs. It is my wish and the wish of 1.9 billion Muslims to see people come to Islam but of course with their own choice!
“If still my words have hurt the feelings of anyone, I APOLOGIZE!”
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