Shabana’s bald head results in red faces among clergy

HYDERABAD, MARCH 3: Five Islamic seminaries in the city have issued fatwas to Muslim film stars to "renew their faith"" as they were practising polytheism in films. The seminaries felt that the polytheism was tantamount to "atheism and infidelity". One of the seminaries, Darul-uloom Sabil-ul-islam, declared that it was "unlawful" for Muslims to act in films.

The fatwas were issued when the matter relating to the tonsuring of the head by film actress Shabana Azmi, who is to act in Deepa Mehta’s controversial film "Water", was referred by Syed Fazil Hussain Parvez, editor of Gawah, an Urdu weekly, to the seminaries – Jamia Nizamia, Dauril-uloom Sabil-ul-islam, Darul-uloom Hyderabad, Daurl-uloom Rahmania and Almahad al-ali-ul-islami.

If a woman tonsured her head without any Shariah excuse, it would be a violation of the Islamic doctrine, the fatwas issued by Darul-uloom Rahmania has declared, according to a press release from Gawah, which has published the fatwas in its latest edition.

The release said the Jamia Nizamia has termed all sorts of polytheism as ‘atheism’ and terming it as professional compulsion even while knowing that due to these acts a Muslim loses his faith, was an "excuse which was worse than the sin itself". The performance of such acts was ‘infidelity’. Hence, all the film stars who call themselves as Muslims must renew their faith.