Caught between Sania Mirza’s rising fame and her attire, Islamic clerics in the city felt compelled to comment on both. Urdu papers covering Mirza’s third round triumph in the US Open carried modest legless shots of the 18-year-old, in a mixed sentiment that reflects the mood of the conservatives.

 

"We are all proud of Sania’s achievements and want her to do well," said Aslam Razi, advisory member of Jamaat-e-Islaami. "At the same time we can’t understand why she should be wearing the kind of dress she wears on court."

 

Many like him can’t fathom why Mirza cannot look like the devout Muslim she claims to be on court. "Is there a dress code that says the skirts should be smaller and shirts tighter?" asked Razi. "Why can’t she wear the long skirts and full sleeve shirts that players I’ve seen 25 years ago used to wear on court?"

 

Maulana Mahmood Dariabadi of Ulema Council, a body of scholars, said, "It is a sport, not a fashion parade. If people are troubled by her dress she ought to cover herself and play."

 

Click here to see Sania Mirza Photo Gallery

 

Shodhan, a Marathi weekly managed by a Muslim trust has refrained from publishing any of Mirza’s photos "because it will offend sensibilities". "We are a very small paper. We do not have space to carry her pictures. But we may in the future," said editor Sayed Ifthikar Ali.

 

Meanwhile, the tennis sensation’s father Imran Mirza is not entirely opposed to such conservative views. Recently he had planned to request the Women’s Tennis Association to allow his daughter to wear more modest cuts as per the culture she hailed from.

 

But he soon learnt that the WTA rule books forbid sweatshirts, sweat pants, T-shirts, jeans and cut-offs, but do not mention skirts at all. The senior Mirza’s concern pleased the religious bodies. "If he thinks like that, it is very good. Hopefully he can do something about it," said Maulana Syed Athar Ali, member of Muslim Personal Board and Ulema Council.

 

As Sania powers herself into the pre-quarters of a Grand Slam for the first time, she is also demolishing the stereotype of a third world Muslim girl. "Actually the conservatives are confused. They’re not sure how to react to a phenomenon like her who also has a strong religious background. Mercifully, the Islamic seminary Darul Uloom’s rule on the mandatory veil concentrates only on Muslim women contesting elections and not on sports," said Feroze Mithiborwala, executive council member for Movement in Peace and Justice.

 

"Though there is a problem with what she wears, we cannot blacklist her," said Maulana Syed Athar Ali, member of Muslim Personal Board and Ulema Council. "But it would be better for us to concentrate on her game and support her rather than discuss what she wears."

 

Divya Chawla

---