Meerut: Undeterred by the threats to Kolkata BJP MP Ishrat Jahan – a Lord Hanuman devotee and a petitioner in a triple talaq case, 42-year-old Shaheen Parvez, also a devotee of Lord Hanuman, recites the Hanuman Chalisa regularly.
Shaheen says, “I am not scared of anyone. I will not let someone who claims to be a custodian of religion dictate my choices. My choices are mine alone.”
She adds, “We live in a country where we should respect each other’s religion. What is wrong in learning about other religions too? After all, there is no greater religion than humanity.”
According to Shaheen, she has been reciting the Hanuman Chalisa since she was in college. “The school I went to, taught us about all religions – Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and Christianity. I felt good whenever I recited Hanuman Chalisa and I have continued the practice till this day,” she recalls.
Shaheen says she feels good about the fact that she is making an effort to blur religious divides and that too, at a time when there is a great deal of negativity on the issue.
Shaheen keeps an idol of Lord Hanuman in her house and worships it daily.
The metal idol is adorned with ‘Tulsi’ beads and she performs ‘aarti’ on a daily basis.
She says that her family has never objected to her choice.