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Loose Women’s Saira Khan tells Muslim trolls she’s ‘not evil’ for wearing a bikini in Body Stories shoot
Saira received abusive comments from Muslims who said it was wrong of her to strip down for the campaign
LOOSE Women's Saira Khan has told Muslim trolls she's "not evil" for posing in her bikini as part of the show's Body Stories campaign.
The panellist, 46, and her co-stars stripped down to their underwear for the tasteful campaign shot by Canadian rocker-come-photographer Bryan Adams to promote female body image.
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Speaking on today's show, she told her co-panellists Ruth Langsford, Linda Robson and Janet Street-Porter: "I just felt really, really sad that all my colleagues were getting praised and I was getting all this abuse.
"I got lots of support from the Muslim community...but what hurt me was to say 'this is evil, that as Muslim I was evil'.
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"Me in a bikini is not evil, killing people in the name of your religion is evil.
"These views do exist in the Muslim community. I've come on here and told people that my body was abused without permission aged 13 and that affected me for the rest of my life.
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"I wanted to do it [the shoot] to show I'm happy - forget my religion, my colour."
"I just want to say to this person it's never too late to love yourself and love your body. I was brought up to be tolerant and supportive, that's what being a Muslim means to me."
Her appearance on today's show came after Saira took a screenshot of one critique and shared with her followers accompanied with a lengthy post of her own.
The Instagram user, called Bilal Ali, said he was disgraced by Saira's actions, asked for Allah's forgiveness and added that it was his duty to tell her.
Infuriated by his remarks, Saira raged: "As soon as I say 'I'm a Muslim' then all hell breaks loose - seriously - I was brought up to not judge other's - it's a basic requirement for Muslims.
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"I feel so sorry for people like this who are so threatened by a woman's body - this is not a 'sexual' campaign - it's one to empower women, for us to feel good about ourselves and our imperfections - it's my choice to do this and if Allah doesn't like it- let him deal with me - WTF does it have to do with anyone else? This is the kind of crap I have to deal with daily on social media.
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"I have so many amazing Muslim followers, who support me, but I also have many who keep reminding me 'I am not a Muslim' and I should stop calling myself one - well here's my answer to that, 'go and do one' you narrow minded, misogynistic, brainwashed, backward, idiots. If a woman in a bikini offends your version of Islam - then seriously you should not be looking in the first place."
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