Days after being slammed for body shaming Team India skipper Rohit Sharma on social media (the post is now deleted), Congress leader Shama Mohamed has now come out in support of Indian pacer Mohammed Shami after he faced backlash from a Muslim cleric for not observing Roza during Ramzan.
The controversy erupted after Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi, president of All India Muslim Jamaat, criticized Shami for not fasting during Ramzan. The cleric reportedly remarked after noticing Shami sipping an energy drink during India's semi-final match against Australia in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Responding to the backlash, Shama Mohamed backed the Indian bowler, saying religion should not be forced upon anyone.
Speaking to ANI she said,"In Islam, there is a very important thing during Ramzan. When we are travelling, we don't need to fast (Roza), so Mohammed Shami is travelling and he's not at his own place. He's playing a sport where he can be very thirsty. Nobody insists that when you're playing a sport, you have to fast...It is your deeds which are very important. It (Islam) is a very scientific religion,"
Shami's Cousin Blasts Muslim Cleric
Indian pacer Mohammed Shami's cousin, Mumtaz, has defended the Indian bowler, stating that Shami is fulfilling his national duty by playing for the country. Maulana Shahbuddin had called the Indian bowler a 'criminal'.
He said, "He is playing for the country. There are many Pakistani players who have not kept 'Roza' and are playing matches, so this is nothing new. It is very shameful that such things are being said about him. We will tell Mohammed Shami not to pay attention to these things and prepare for the match on March 9."
