Celebrities have a tendency to share their opinions on matters in the news. Usually, their opinions can be taken into stride, given that they might be harmless or hold no consequence. While this offers celebrities the agency to sometimes also post problematic statements, calling out those takes becomes imperative, since these stars also preside over massive influence. Hira Mani is one such star who spoke up about the Dua Zehra case, and the statement was highly problematic.
Hira Mani Shares Statement
Amidst the ongoing proceedings of Dua Zehra’s case, Hira Mani took to Instagram to share the following statement:
“Main chahti hun kay Dua Zehra or Zaheer Kabhi Alag na houn !! Allah tala mere ye dua zaroor sunienge”
(I wish that Dua Zehra and Zaheer never separate. God will definitely listen to my prayer.”)
Once called out for this, she shared a follow-up, stating that she is not politically correct, but emotionally correct, which is why she is Hira Mani.
Why Is This Problematic?
We reached out to Sheeraz Khan Soomro, a human rights activist and one of the lawyers fighting Dua Zehra’s case alongside Jibran Nasir and his team. This is what he had to say:
“Currently, Lahore Magistrate has passed order to custody of Dua Zehra to Sindh Police who’ll bring her back to Karachi Child Protection Centre as per law. Dua is no longer with Zaheer, nor does she want to be with him. Zaheer and his brother Shabir have pre-arrest bail application arguments going on in the court right now and the next hearing is set to be for August 1.”
“All this is ample to depict how ill-informed and far from reality was the statement issued by actress Hira Mani. Not only it is ethically incorrect but irresponsible from a legal viewpoint. Hira Mani has around 7 million followers online and as a mainstream celebrity, all her statements and acts are capable of being broadcast over various media outlets.”
“The emphasis here is that her reach and influence is humongous. Majority of her following consist of impressionable audience and to endorse child grooming, child marriage, and possible human trafficking in front of such a massive audience is extremely dangerous.”
“Not only does it pose a question on all the legal efforts of this case but also causes severe distress to already disturbed parents of Dua Zehra who are begging for justice for months. Hira Mani has ignored all the latest updates on the case along with the sensitivity of the matter and romanticized an almost criminal situation. All celebrities must be held accountable for misusing their position of power and privilege.”
Our celebrities could do well by being better informed on matters, instead of letting misinformed emotions guide their statements that carry weight. What is your take on the matter? Let us know in the comments.
