Rakhi Sawant, who entered the entertainment industry in the early 2000s, has been the topic of conversation more than usual since she recently returned from performing the Umrah pilgrimage in Makkah. The actor, who reportedly faced widespread mockery for her vacation, was greeted with a lavish floral display upon her return to Mumbai.
A crowd of photographers greeted Rakhi as she emerged from the airport gates dressed elegantly in a white abaya. In the midst of the confusion, she stopped to answer questions, beginning with setting the record straight when someone in the crowd mistakenly called her Rakhi. Instead, after her pilgrimage, she asked that everyone start referring to her as Fatimah.
Viral Bhayani’s video shows that photographers instantly started referring to her as the latter. According to an article published by India Today, when a reporter questioned if she had also changed her name on official documents, she reportedly said, “God made me just like this. He accepts me completely. He doesn’t need me to change my name or anything else on any paperwork.
Upon this revelation, Indian media began raising questions about whether the actor had converted to Islam, to which she responded, “Meine Muslim mein shadi kari thi, nikkah kiya tha toh isiliye jab aap nikkah karlete hain toh aap Islam kabool karlete hain- eik saal se mein shadi-shuda hoon Adil ke sath (I married a Muslim man, and when you marry a Muslim then you also convert to Islam. I have been married to Adil for a year now).”
She said, “Aap log mujhe bolte hain—jo paidaishi musalman ho kar mandir jate hain, Vaishno Devi jate hain; aap oun ko kuch nahi bolte. If a group of Hindu extremists were to storm the Ka’aba and start throwing rocks, you could expect an angry response from us. The reason I don’t say anything to Muslims who visit Hindu temples is because you all keep your mouths shut about it. Make a big scene if a Hindu girl answers God’s call and travels to the Kaabah. To my dear friends, I would like to express my profound gratitude for being selected to perform the pilgrimage of Umrah.
The Indian celebrity’s recent religious pilgrimage to Makkah and Medina caused a stir on the internet. The reality star took her Instagram fans along on her journey to complete Umrah, the holiest pilgrimage in Islam. However, although some sent good wishes her way, others, such as social media personality Mathira, condemned her for exploiting religion in the name of “drama” and questioned the genuineness of her faith.
