Sania distances herself from Khushboo

Distancing herself from her reported support to South Indian filmstar Khushboo on the issue of pre-marital sex, tennis star Sania Mirza on Fridaysaid her belief was otherwise.Maintaining that she was deeply painedat the maligning of her image and making a non-issue into a serious controversyby misquoting her on the pre-marital sex issue, she said in a statement that"they were totally false connotations about my justifying pre-maritalsex".Sania, along with Miss Universe Natalie Glebanova and FormulaOne star Narain Karthikeyan, had reportedly voiced support to Khushboo at amedia conclave held in Delhi earlier this week."I would like toclearly say on record that I could not possibly justify pre-marital sex as it isa very big sin in Islam and one which I believe will not be forgiven by Allah,"Sania, a devout Muslim, said in the statement."Attributing a viewpoint that is totally contrary to what I believe in and what I stand for as aMuslim and as an Indian girl," Sania said, was a creation of media tosensationalise a story and such sensitive issues needed to be confirmed beforemaking such attempts.
Khushboo's remarks onpre-marital sex had kicked up a major controversy and taken political twistswith activists of PMK and Dalit Panthers of India voicing strong protestsagainst the film star, who later apologised. An earlier episode involvingSania's dress code and a religious leader issuing a 'fatwa' (religious edict) to"dress as a Muslim girl" had raked up controversy and Sania refused to speak onthe issue.She had also denied that her remarks at the Summit thatwhether her dress was six inches in length was not made in the context of fatwaissued on the subject.Muslim clerics had reportedly issued a 'fatwa'taking objection to Sania's apparel during tennis matches which they said was"un-Islamic".