Sania blames journalists; says she was misquoted

Hyderabad:Stating that her views on premarital sex had been reported ''out of context'' by a section of the media, tennis sensation Sania Mirza today clarified that she believes ''pre-marital sex is a big sin in Islam and one which I believe will not be forgiven by Allah''.

''It agonises me that the journalists concerned did not consider it necessary to confirm what they thought I meant before making up a sensational story, attributing a viewpoint to me that is totally contrary to what I believe in and what I stand for as a Muslim and as an Indian girl,'' she said in a statement here.

''I am deeply pained at the maligning of my image by the ridiculous headlines and opportunistic articles written by a couple of journalists to sensationalise a non-issue through misquoting and by using partial quotes, which are totally out of context.'' ''I do not even know whether it was a poor choice of words used by me that caused a couple of learned journalists to attribute these totally false connotations about my justifying pre-marital sex,'' she said.

Sania is the third celebrity to be embroiled in a controversy after actresses Kushboo and Suhasini, on their statement on pre-marital sex.

Taking part in the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit at New Delhi on November 16, Sania reportedly said, ''Look, whether it's before or after marriage, people should have safe sex. About pre-marriage sex, you can't stop people and hence the best way is to play it safe.'' Meanwhile, in an informal chat with reporters, BJP Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu disapproved of burning Sania's effigy by some party youth in Visakhapatnam yesterday. ''We may differ with her. But it is not correct to indulge in such acts (burning of effigy)''.