Sonakshi & Zaheer Abused For Inter-Faith Marriage: How Bigoted Can Trolls Be?

Suddenly, everyone starts acting like Sonakshi and Zaheer's bua and maasi.

The hate that Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal are getting for choosing to have a happily ever after is baffling.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Actors Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal tied the knot in Mumbai on 23 June. After an intimate wedding ceremony at Sonakshi's house, the couple threw a grand party for friends and industry colleagues. Such a beautiful occasion calls for love, blessings and congratulatory messages. However, trolls jumped in and started abusing Sonakshi and Zaheer for their inter-faith wedding. Social media was full of hateful comments, so much so that people stepped in to call out the triggering remarks. Suddenly, everyone started acting like the couple's bua and maasi, without even knowing them.

Cursing Sonakshi, calling her family shameless, wishing ill for Zaheer - it just shows that when people stoop low, the pit is bottomless. How much hate do you have to harbour in your heart that you are targeting someone you don't even know just on the basis on their religion?

Sonakshi & Zaheer Disable Instagram Comments Amidst The Trolling

It was a day to celebrate, and Sonakshi and Zaheer took to social media to post pictures from their wedding to share the happiness with their fans and close ones. While blessings and love poured in from all corners, the trolling became so unbearable that both of them had to disable their Instagram comments.

Time and again celebrities have spoken about how trolling affects their mental health, so imagine what Sonakshi and Zaheer must be feeling when they come across so much ill-will for them.

Comments On The Wedding Reek Of Hatred

It's really unfortunate to see people being so bigoted that the first thing they notice in a wedding is the bride and groom's religion. The comments on the wedding reeked of hatred. People started dissecting the expressions of Sonakshi's family members, pulled out old videos of the actor wearing a black lehenga to imply that she would have to wear a burqa hereon, called the wedding 'love jihad,' shamed her parents and abused Zaheer.

Sonakshi and Zaheer chose each other because they love each other. They are free to wear whatever they want on their special day, dance their hearts out and they deserve all the love and happiness. No bride and groom should have to go through this harassment and be forced to disable comments on social media because they are unbearable. Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal, Swara Bhasker and Fahad Ahmad were also trolled when they shared pictures from their weddings. Inter-faith weddings have existed for decades, and it's ironic that on such a happy occasion trolls just choose to put all their energies into pulling people apart just because they belong to different religions.

Also, when it comes to the family, Zaheer father was asked whether Sonakshi will convert to Islam after the marriage. He told the media, "She is not converting, and that is for sure. Theirs is a union of hearts, and religion has no role to play whatsoever. I believe in humanity. God is called Bhagwan by Hindus and Allah by Muslims. But at the end of the day, we are all human beings. My blessings are with Zaheer and Sonakshi."

Is this the first question that comes to people's minds?

To top it all there were protests in Shatrughan Sinha's native state Bihar by a fringe organisation called Hindu Shiv Bhawani Sena, asking Sonakshi not to visit the state. Reacting to this the veteran actor-politician told Times Now, "Kucch to log kahenge, logon ka kaam hai kehna. To this I would like to add, ‘Kehne waale agar bekar, bekaam-kaaj ke ho to kehna hi kaam ban jata hai (For unemployed people, this is all the work they have).’ My daughter has done nothing illegal or unconstitutional.”

The country is already reeling under communal hatred, the last thing we want is people getting hurt and abused because they choose who they want to spend their lives with, what they want to eat and what they decide to wear. Why are we quick to judge those who ask for dowry and celebrate patriarchal practices? Is it because their religion is the same?

We Celebrated SRK-Gauri, Saif-Kareena, So How Did We Get Here?

Bollywood has seen some very successful and really adorable inter-faith marriages. Remember the time when we cheered for and celebrated Shah Rukh Khan -Gauri, Kareena Kapoor-Saif Ali Khan? Why are we regressing as a society then? If anything, these unions should remind us how beautiful it can be if we all were more tolerant and can accept someone's culture and faith, while following our own.

Support Pours In For Sonakshi & Zaheer

On one hand, the trolls tried to dampen the happy occasion, on the other hand there was so much support for Sonakshi and Zaheer. Congress leader Supriya Shinate wrote on X, "Two people in love, in a relationship for over 7 years get married. One expects an outpouring of love and congratulatory messages wishing them all the best for their future. But instead they had to disable comments on their Instagram feed to avoid the hate that was being thrown their way. Wish you both a marriage full of love, understanding and trust - something that the trolls know nothing about. To your happily ever after - Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal May God bless the vile toxic trolls too."

Take a look at some of the other comments:

Freedom of choice shouldn't be coloured by the misguided notions on religion. We all have the right to make our own decisions, and there shouldn't be any fear associated with it. Sonakshi and Zaheer had a beautiful wedding, and we should all celebrate that.