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Indian tennis player cuts stereotypes
(AP)
Updated: 2005-11-03 10:37
But Mirza's growing popularity has become a cause of concern among sections
of the country's orthodox Muslim clergy, who say she is leading young Muslims,
especially girls, astray.
India's Sunni Ulema Board, a Muslim organization, last month issued an edict
demanding she cover up during her matches. The group described her tennis
clothes — usually a short skirt teamed with a midriff-revealing T-shirt — as
"un-Islamic."
Mirza at the time refused to comment, but she later said her clothing was
appropriate and required for the game. Her response echoed the tussle many young
Indians in a fast-modernizing society have with their own orthodox parents and
religious leaders.
"She's awesome," said Akshay Rawat, an 18-year-old student. "I like the way
she's handled the problems she's faced, whether it's the clerics or the money
hassles. It shows you can make it if you try really hard."
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