Hurt and shocked to read Taslima Nasreen's vile remark against my son, says Moeen Ali’s father Munir

Moeen Ali’s father Munir has expressed his anger after Bangladesh writer Taslima Nasreen’s comment on the England all-rounder courted controversy. The 58-year-old controversial author, in a tweet, stated that Moeen would have joined the Islamic State had he not picked cricket as a profession. Her stern words have created a furore on social media platforms.

Moeen’s father didn’t mince any words in slamming Taslima Nasreen for making the “vile remark” and picking his son of all people. Later, Taslima dropped a clarification, saying that her tweet was based on “sarcasm” and her intentions lie in “secularising Muslim society” and “opposing Islamic fanaticism”. The clarification hasn’t gone down well with Moeen’s father either.

I will tell what I really think of her on her face: Moeen Ali’s father

“I am hurt and shocked to read Taslima Nasreen’s vile remark against my son Moeen. In her ‘clarifying’ tweet, where she described her original remark as sarcasm, she also says she stands against fundamentalism,” Munir was quoted as saying to Indian Express.

“If she looks into a mirror, she will know what she tweeted is what is fundamentalist – a vicious stereotype against a Muslim person, a clearly Islamophobic statement. Someone who doesn’t have self-respect and respect for others can only stoop to this level,” he stated.

“Truth be told, I am really angry, but I know I would be playing into the hands of people like her if I let my rage get out of control. If I get to meet her someday, I will tell what I really think of her on her face. For now, I would ask her to pick a dictionary and see the meaning of sarcasm,” he added.

In the meantime, a number of English cricketers, including fast bowler Jofra Archer, rallied around Moeen over the incident. Archer even asked the writer to “delete the tweet”. Sam Billings, the Brits’ batter, asked the netizens to “report the account”. Fast bowler Saqib Mahmood called Taslima’s tweet “disgusting”.

Moeen Ali is currently in India for the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) where he is set to ply his trade for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). MS Dhoni and Co bought him in the auction at a price of INR 7 crores.