"Just shame on you."
Mawra Hocane took to her Instagram on Christmas Eve, sharing a controversial reel.
The video showcased a timelapse of her setting up a Christmas tree in her cosy living room.
Donning a beige sweater, Mawra looked comfortable as she adorned the tree with festive ornaments and twinkling lights.
Mawra captioned the post:
“Merry Christmas to the white of my flag and everyone celebrating elsewhere.”
Her message aimed to extend warm wishes to those observing the holiday.
With this, she also acknowledged the significance of the white colour in the Pakistani flag, which represents the country’s minorities.
To emphasise her support for these marginalised communities, she included the hashtag ‘Minorities Matter’.
However, Mawra’s well-intentioned video encountered unexpected backlash from the majority of the netizens.
Accusations surfaced, claiming she was imitating Western culture and traditions by celebrating Christmas.
The criticism escalated when people compared her reel with her previous post featuring her pilgrimage to the Kaaba during Umrah.
This comparison led some to view her actions as inappropriate and contradictory.
One said: “A sin will remain a sin even if it’s done for the purest of intentions.”
Another commented: “As a Muslim, you should not celebrate any other occasions other than 2 Eids.”
One comment read: “Just shame on you.”
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Social media users went as far as to allege that Mawra’s Christmas celebration amounted to “shirk”, a term denoting polytheism.
One said: “Minorities matter but Shirk is Haram.
“It’s the biggest sin and we are amazed that in the era of modernism, people are adapting to other events despite knowing that they are unacceptable.”
Others bombarded her comment section with prayers for her guidance.
While some staunch fans came to her defence, they were quickly silenced.
Fans claimed that expressing good wishes was one thing, fully embracing the customs of a different religious observance was another.
Some even went as far as to say that they would be unfollowing her, blaming Mawra Hocane for engaging in forbidden practices to appear modern and inclusive.
To them, by celebrating Christmas, Mawra Hocane was endorsing Western culture.
They also criticised Mawra’s silence on the ongoing Israel and Palestine conflict, with some questioning her priorities.
As of now, Mawra has not responded to the backlash.
Some speculate that this may have been a deliberate attempt on her part to garner attention. However, her true intentions remain unknown.
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