'Fatwa' against Sania, Shoaib for living together before marriage

Tennis star Sania Mirza’s marriage with Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik has sparked another row with some religious scholars issuing a ‘fatwa’ or religious edict against their living and mingling freely even before the marriage is solemnised.

Sunni Ulema Board, a group of religious scholars, said both the sportspersons were bringing disrepute to Islam and Muslim community through their actions.

The board issued a ‘fatwa’ terming their actions ‘haram’ (forbidden) and asked Muslims to stay away from the April 15 marriage.

‘The kind of actions the two are indulging in like living together and addressing media together are ‘haram’ in Islam,’ said Moulana Haseebul Hasan Siddiqui, a religious scholar.

Shoaib has been staying at Sania’s residence here for more than a week and television pictures showed them dancing and doing physical exercises together.

‘Islam permits a man and woman to see each other only once before marriage and it does not allow them to live together and indulge in this sort of activities before marriage,’ he said.