That Image of Sania Mirza Wearing a Hijab is NOT From Pakistan!
The image is not from Pakistan, but from Mecca, when the tennis star went to perform ‘Umrah’.
CLAIM
A recurring image on social media shows tennis star Sania Mirza clad in a t-shirt and jeans on one side and on a hijab on the other. The jeans-clad picture has a caption that says 'India', while the one in a hijab says 'Pakistan', indicating that while Mirza wears western clothes in India, she is not allowed to do the same in Pakistan.
The photo which has been widely shared in the past has been now shared the Facebook page 'Modi Government', and in turn has around 300 shares.
TRUE OR FALSE?
While the pictures are not edited in any way, the accompanying claim is false.
When we reverse image searched the picture of Mirza clad in a hijab, we came across a blog from 2011 which was a compilation of tennis players with their mothers. Here, we found that the original image shows the tennis player with her mother, also clad in a hijab.
When we reverse-searched this image, we found the picture of Mirza wearing a hijab is not from Pakistan but from Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
Mirza had gone to Mecca for 'Umrah' in September 2006 with her parents. The original picture was clicked by a reader for rediff.com. The portal mentions that the reader had sought Mirza's parents' permission before clicking the photos.
Unlike the Hajj, 'Umrah' is an Islamic pilgirimage that can be undertaken by devotees at any time of the year.
(Not convinced of a story you came across on social media and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9910181818 we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)