Dawn Images

Pakistani fans are moral policing Ertugrul's Esra Bilgic on Instagram

Is the fact that they believe she's actually the character Halime Sultan a testament to her acting skills, or their IQ?

11 May, 2020

We've had this inkling for a while now, judging from our comments section but it has finally been confirmed: desi trolls, have in fact, become worse human beings in isolation.

When they're not harassing female doctors during a pandemic, they can be found hurling abuses at women online. Forget about being a nuisance to the women of this country, they're going international; they didn't even spare Dirilis Ertugrul's Esra Bilgic.

The Turkish actor, who plays Halime Sultan in the popular drama which has gained major traction here thanks to PM Imran Khan, had hoards of Pakistani men descend on her Instagram to moral police her on this post from six weeks ago when they couldn't find anything else:

A photo posted by Instagram (@instagram) on Mar 22, 2015 at 11:21am PDT

**They seem to be under the impression that Bilgic is actually Halime. Do they also think Ertugrul is a documentary? A deep dive into the comments would suggest so.**

We can't believe we have to say this but repeat after us slowly: Esra Bilgic is Halime Sultan in reel life, not real life

The entitlement

Thank you to all the ladies doing damage control!

**She's not the only Ertugrul actor they're shaming...**

Leave this queen alone!

Comments

Babu Ram May 11, 2020 04:13pm

Pakistani audiences are not fit to watch anything that does not fit their narrow views. These people may have the latest gadgets and technologies but they haven't left their villages and mountains.

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Furrukh Rao May 11, 2020 04:16pm

Human 10000000000 KM Distance Pakistan.

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A. R. May 11, 2020 04:32pm

It all boils down to the lack of education and the misplaced notion that "pious" Pakistanis have a monopoly over Islam. The Turkish word for jahil by the way is the same, aka cahil.

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Syed Saqib Ahmad May 11, 2020 04:42pm

I couldn't stop laughing

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Moth May 11, 2020 05:02pm

We are not Ottoman. We are from Indus River and we have to shine with our unit unique identity . What is wrong with our leaders.

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Adam May 11, 2020 05:07pm

If you let them free, Pakistani viewers will pull back progressive Turkish citizens by a hundred years

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Adam May 11, 2020 05:08pm

I thought Imran said Turkish is what Pakistanis should follow

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shan May 11, 2020 05:14pm

Pakistani fans got nothing better to do.

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D’Souza May 11, 2020 05:19pm

Pakistani men are very chauvinistic. Highly unpopular in UK because of the grooming gangs issue.

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Karim May 11, 2020 05:33pm

Damn, banda hansey ya afsoos kare in py!

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Abdali Durrani May 11, 2020 05:43pm

This is our national problem. Poking our noses into others' affairs and lifestyle. Please don't do this. This is very bad. We should not harass her. It's her decision to wear what she wants to.

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Karachi Wala May 11, 2020 06:00pm

I would just laugh at these young ignorant men of Pakistani society. I watch Ertugrul as a drama - and not as real life documentary as Imran Khan suggested.

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JawAd May 11, 2020 06:01pm

On a per capita basis pakistani men watch the most amount of obscene content on the web . An alarming study shows men in this country are excellent users of search engine to find obscene content and I am sure many of them are among the posters too. Growing a beard is no good .

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Anu May 11, 2020 06:04pm

Just watch the historical epic and enjoy. You can't expect reel life people to behave the same in real life aaww!!

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Truth May 11, 2020 06:11pm

besti kara di yaar

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imran May 11, 2020 06:40pm

Classic behavior by people who have a hard time differentiating between fact and fiction.

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Faran May 11, 2020 06:42pm

I feel sad when I see we Pakistanis time to time look outside for identity. We use Afghan kings name for our missiles, we see Arab invador as our hero, We see central asian mugal as our heritage, bollywood movies and now turkish drama. Feels like we do not have anything of our own. How long we try to forget our Indian origin?

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AA May 11, 2020 06:47pm

Haha, glad they didn't call her Haleema baji.

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Mrs Hussain May 11, 2020 07:01pm

Pakistani men have become an embarassment. No wonder they are outraged by things like the aurat march if they can't even accept a woman from another country living her life in her country. You are not the moral police for every woman on the planet. And don't bring Islam into it. Because if you are so religious, you would lower your gaze and not be following actresses' social media accounts. Grow up guys !

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Sahmad May 11, 2020 07:02pm

Some serious flaw in upbringing of Pakistani males. There stares are unbelievable. I honestly put the blame on their elderly males.

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Justice May 11, 2020 07:04pm

Most are sacrasm. Take it easy guys.

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Pakistani May 11, 2020 07:06pm

So a few said something and you are becoming judgemental?

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Laila May 11, 2020 07:20pm

Well now you know what Pakistanis female celebrities , Instagrammers and YouTubers go through every damn day. It gets worse. It's a pattern of misogyny that keeps repeating. I can't believe it these people think this vulgar language and judgement is OK.

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Truth May 11, 2020 07:28pm

I have seen bunch of Pakistan men targeted and shaming Lebanese women in social media bcoz they wear western clothes. They called all unparliamentary words and told how to be Muslim. I think that will create hatred.

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Alka May 11, 2020 08:08pm

English lajawab hai

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Kas May 11, 2020 08:17pm

Lol Kahaan se aatey haain yeh log

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HashBrown® May 11, 2020 08:21pm

100% agree with the point of the article Dawn, but please show some representation from across the spectrum of Pakistani men. I promise you, there are plenty of us who are deeply embarrassed by the kind of stupidity the moral police show online - and may I also humbly add that there is no shortage of Pakistani women who display the same kind of regressive mindset. If we want to root out this medieval mentality, we need to step away from the notion that this is men vs women.

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haris May 11, 2020 08:22pm

everywhere people carried away with stars they admire of. Americans are no different here. ignore it.

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ivehadit May 11, 2020 08:33pm

the lockdown is contributing to this mental breakdown on the part of some of our compatriots. What craziness!

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Sadia Noor May 11, 2020 09:22pm

Every person has his own choice why don't you judge her......... It's not compulsory that her dress decided her character........

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Usman May 11, 2020 09:23pm

Pakistani society has a long way to go as far as moral liberalism is concerned, but I think we are moving in the right direction.

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Dr. Wani May 11, 2020 10:11pm

Dirilis Ertugrul looks a Turk (a great race) which she is and not an Aryan Kashmiri in the headdress. There is a big difference between the Turkish Race and the great Aryan Race. Even a blind person can make out!

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Ajmal May 11, 2020 11:55pm

Someone should ask them, why they are going on her page or visit her account, there is no boundaries for them as a men. Pathetic mentality after stalking her, comment like they are sufi

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Raja armughan May 12, 2020 12:40am

Whats wrong with these guys...

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Shailesh May 12, 2020 12:57am

It's always nice to see men preaching women on modesty. More so when they are Pakistani. That's work of 70+ years of good education...... sorry not good but the best education they have received from self declared guardians of muslim ummah.

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Kris May 12, 2020 01:44am

Well entrenched patriarchy.

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Nabeel May 12, 2020 02:41am

Freedom of expression...

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Only May 12, 2020 03:07am

True reflection of Pakistani men IQ levels.

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TruthMatters May 12, 2020 04:00am

Please leave Esra and Engin alone! Get a grip, people! Dirilis Ertugrul is just a show and the people ACTING in it are actors/actresses.

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TruthMatters May 12, 2020 04:01am

Please leave Esra and Engin alone! Get a grip, people! Dirilis Ertugrul is just a show and the people ACTING in it are actors/actresses.

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Nadeem May 12, 2020 05:03am

she is our modern girl

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nk May 12, 2020 05:37am

Bigots are narrow minded, always!

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Ron May 12, 2020 05:39am

Please come out of the moral and religious policing mindset. Mankind is constantly evolving. Not stuck in 600AD.

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N abidai May 12, 2020 06:39am

These Pakistan trolls are showing the world that they are mindless ,belong in cave !

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ABCD May 12, 2020 07:03am

By birth Pakistanis are guardians of Islam, so nothing new in it. With same spirit, they too are empowered to criticize anyone. What Pakistanis do is always correct. Stop.

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Vishal lucknow May 12, 2020 07:28am

Pakistani are alien to modern world.

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jaredlee007 May 12, 2020 08:14am

Pakistani men who criticize women are the ones who thoroughly enjoy seeing women in bikinis. Their criticism is more a reflection of their frustration regarding not being able to touch and feel attractive women than an indication of their values. Also, when the former CJ of Pakistan, Saqib Nisar, used a sexist analogy referring to short skirts of women, then what can you expect from the nation.

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Siva D May 12, 2020 09:33am

Very funny.

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True Asian May 12, 2020 09:37am

Fisrt of all Halima Hatun was a make believe fictional Character No such Person existed , its a marketing gimmick to make gullible people watch serials

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samik chatterjee May 12, 2020 09:37am

They forget that it is turkey and not pakistan.

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Ali Vaqar Awan May 12, 2020 09:39am

Very shameful it is to moral police Esra. Its none of business what she does in personal life. Those who are criticising her and moral policing her, should first ask themselves are they practicising what they preach. We all are responsible for our own actions, not others.

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Supriya May 12, 2020 09:54am

Unbiased article. Good work, Dawn.

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Mo mubarak raza May 12, 2020 09:58am

Good

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SRI313 May 12, 2020 10:34am

This is too comical

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IMran May 12, 2020 10:56am

Ironically, my Pakistani fellows searched and checked her pictures because of her beauty and acting. When she stands good on both criterion, they have to pass judgements. Dear comrades, you are pleased from her, now leave her alone and lets get to your own daily work routine of looting the people in the name of opportunity, passing remarks at women, harassing them in work place and bazaars.

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Rational May 12, 2020 11:19am

Seems like trolling to me.

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Salman May 12, 2020 12:02pm

Let's try an Egyptian drama next, maybe their actors are the same in real life. No harm in trying.

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Bashir May 12, 2020 09:34pm

The irony with most Pakistani audiences is that they have a very narrow-minded mentality.

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Progressive Pakistani May 13, 2020 05:48am

No One: Literally No One: Pakistanis: humara muslim culture, humara muslim culture!

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Sami May 13, 2020 05:58am

Turkey is modern half European country. Dont get confused them with conservative Muslim country. Also its not aapropriare to judge anyone based on its character or appearance. Just watch and forget!

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AZAM AKBAR May 13, 2020 09:53am

@D’Souza Mr D'Souza, Unfortunately, they are so but not all. you said the bitter truth.

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Ali May 13, 2020 02:56pm

Did anyone question Anthony Quin over playing Hazrat Hamza in the Message?!! Please focus on the message of the drama. These are just actors.

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November Seven Seven May 14, 2020 08:12pm

@Babu Ram What’s wrong with villages and mountains ? I think both offer some of the best and closer to nature living this world has to offer. The title of this article is “moral policing” a softer term for discriminating, aren’t you doing the same ? Urban versus rural living, somehow depicting or giving an impression that those with rural or agrarian backgrounds are backward ? There is nothing much different between you and those whom you think went overboard.

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Ryteeyo May 17, 2020 09:09pm

Other than the problem they can't distinguish between Islamic history and fictionalised Islamic history, Pakistani men are actually struggling here to accept the idea that these ordinary real life actors (who portray idiolised Islamic characters on the TV show) are otherwise quite secular people in real life. Pakistani men are in such a dilemma here, feeling torn and helpless inside. Hence their objections with Ertugrul having a dog at home and Halime standing in a liberal pose.... Just wait until they see Gokce in her real life wedding dress. Haha

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