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This Indian news anchor shut down a cleric for mocking women's choice to wear what they want

This Indian news anchor shut down a cleric for mocking women's choice to wear what they want

A cleric taunted TV host Faye D'Souza saying that she can come to work in her underwear if she wants equality with men
Updated 12 Jun, 2017

This past few weeks, we've seen many women in the public eye trolled for personal choices like their attire.

Also read: Once again, Priyanka proves she's the best at shutting down trolls

A few days ago, on Indian TV chat show The Urban Debate on Mirror Now, anchor Faye D'Souza was hosting an episode on this subject when a cleric tried to shame her for her suggestion that men and women should have the same freedoms.

The cleric named Maulana Yasoob Abbas said to D'Souza, “Underwear pehanke [aap debate mein] aiye. Mard aur aurat barabar hojayege na." [Come to this debate dressed in your underwear. Then there will be equality between men and women.]

The comment made by Maulana Abbas was low on intellectual value and D'Souza could have chosen to ignore it. But she decided to use her airtime to point out the root of problematic statements like his.

"Maulana Ji threatened me to show up at my workplace wearing underwear because I want to be equal to men. He hopes that he will rile me up, that I will throw a fit and I will lose control of my panel and I will forget how to do my job," she began.

"Aap jese mainay bohot dekhay hai. [I've seen a lot like you.] I'm not afraid of you or threatened by you or rattled by you. Because you threatened me with something so cheap, you tried to rattle when I'm doing my job... all you men think that if you rattle [Fatima Sana] when she's doing her job, when you rattle Sania Mirza when she's doing her job, if you rattle all women when they're doing their jobs, they will run back into their kitchens, cover themselves up, and leave the world again for you to conquer. I have news for you, we are not going anywhere," D'Souza said.

"All you men think that if you rattle [Fatima Sana] or Sania Mirza when they're doing their job, if you rattle all women when they're doing their jobs, they will run back into their kitchens, cover themselves up, and leave the world again for you to conquer. I have news for you, we are not going anywhere."

"I stand by [Fatima Sana] and Priyanka Chopra and what they've chosen to wear. Because it is our choice and we will make that choice on a daily basis," she added.

"You, unfortunately, are deeply respected by an entire community of people who think you're right. and the reason why we have this show is to display to people that this kind of thought is derogatory and offensive to women and we will have none of it," she concluded.

D'Souza's clapback was hailed by many viewers, though some pointed out that clerics like Maulana Abbas shouldn't be given a platform at all. Although Maulana Abbas may find many in the audience who agree with him, his views are not representative of the entire Muslim community in India or beyond.

Watch the full video here.

Comments

hII Jun 12, 2017 11:13am
Respect you Faye
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BK Jun 12, 2017 11:18am
pls grow up Maulana Abbas. People like you are a shame to all muslims.
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NARADA MUNI Jun 12, 2017 11:21am
This is the power of women in India. Well said Madam. Equality of women is in the Indian Constitution.
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Shah Jun 12, 2017 11:40am
GOD create men & women different but we are proving equal !
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me and my ovice Jun 12, 2017 11:46am
@NARADA MUNI So power of equality will apply to minorities?
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Taimur Jun 12, 2017 11:56am
This Maulana Sb is so cheap. I wonder if any of our Ullema objected on the words he used
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Nasir Askar Jun 12, 2017 11:59am
Maulana gets owned
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kerala Jun 12, 2017 12:00pm
@NARADA MUNI but sadly this maulana do represent the mindset of a mass number of Indian Muslims including some women. They have no problem when khans strip themselves on screen and for sharing their workouts and photoshoots.But when a Muslim woman does the same; then all comes with meaningless fatwas .
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mohammad H Khan Jun 12, 2017 12:01pm
@NARADA MUNI.... but is it practiced...People tend to forget their duties but remember their rights.
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kiku Jun 12, 2017 12:23pm
@me and my ovice They are more equal than majority. Show me a country where minority run the underworld and bully majority. Buy a magnifying lens and search in Pakistan. in India may be 5% population of minority grew to current 13% and your people downsized more than 15% minority to current number. what moral right do you have to ask this question???
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Aamer Jun 12, 2017 12:33pm
This tells alot about India, they are not as libral as they try to show on the media.
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SHAILENDRA Jun 12, 2017 12:39pm
@me and my ovice you are as low intellectually as moulana in debate. India has equal for all communities. Btw the anchor is following Christianity which is minority community in india.
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SATT Jun 12, 2017 12:51pm
One Maulana even taunted a woman politician to wear Bikini.By the way this is old news.
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Ali Jun 12, 2017 12:52pm
Until woman would not admit that man and women are not equal. Problem is not going to solve.
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vasudevan Jun 12, 2017 01:06pm
The Maulana put it crudely. But when they walk around, half-naked or half-dressed, when they get harassed, they raise a hue and cry. Male or female should dress modestly. Does women's freedom ends with short pants and shorter tops?
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vijay Jun 12, 2017 01:46pm
@Ali They are not equal but not inferior either. Its like comparing an apple to an Orange.
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KT Jun 12, 2017 02:02pm
First duty of Maulana is to uphold the religion. Dress attire is functional to event.
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Ali Jun 12, 2017 02:53pm
But most of Hindustani anchors are quite bully and unprofessional. They really need to stay neutral and be a host. They always get personal and angry and dont let the guest speak.
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Farooq Jawed Jun 12, 2017 03:06pm
Bravo! More power to her. These Mullah types are a log jam for progress in Islam. It was good to see this chauvinist put in his place.
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DANNY Jun 12, 2017 03:20pm
Scripted!
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Sandip Jun 12, 2017 03:29pm
@me and my ovice they get more opportunities and benefits than majority
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waleed fakhar Jun 12, 2017 07:14pm
Maualana is right.
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Sara Jun 12, 2017 08:23pm
Indians are bling so she would be ok even if she wears nothing. Going out naked in public is not freedom, these women know there is a market out there which pays them for exposing their skin. I bet it won t be long when these womren will be sitting absolutely naked while doing there jobs
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Asif Ali Jun 12, 2017 09:18pm
Why they never oppose when a man bears western clothes, ties ,most of their leader bears.
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Zala Jun 13, 2017 11:00pm
Comparing men to women is like comparing apples to oranges. They both have strengths and weaknesses.
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mstareen Jun 14, 2017 02:33pm
Very well scripted effort by the TV show and the anchor. Its clearly a learned by heart speech by the anchor, planned to be delivered at any err by a religious scholar or some one was speaking in her earphone as by almeans her reaction was not spontaneous.
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mstareen Jun 14, 2017 02:39pm
@Farooq Jawed you cant even differentiate between scripted show??
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rajesh Jun 17, 2017 01:55pm
@ Shah What is different? It is just that we souls inhabit different bodies during transmigration. Have the brains to understand that first!
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