Miss Universe Harnaaz Kaur Sandhu was recently asked to share her opinion on the controversy surrounding the hijab in India and her response has everyone talking. Harnaaz is the fourth Indian women to win the Miss Universe pageant. She was crowned the title in Israel in December 2021. The event faced both complications arising from the coronavirus pandemic and attracted criticism from viewers and activists who denounced Israeli atrocities in Palestine, calling for a boycott of the event.
The organisers had defended the choice of the host country by saying that the Miss Universe pageant was not driven by any political or religious movement and was about women and what they can offer.
Recently, at an event held in honour of her homecoming, Harnaaz was asked to share her opinion on the continuing controversy surrounding the hijab. The row gained momentum after a court in the Indian state of Karnataka ruled against wearing hijab in schools.
In Karnataka, the intolerance and hatred towards hijab had been building up for a long time, with several videos emerging routinely of Muslim women being chased and harassed by mobs of unruly men for their clothing. The controversy made international news and several women’s rights activists around the world expressed solidarity with women being targeted for their dressing in India.
In the clip circulating on social media, a reporter asks Harnaaz what she thinks of the hijab controversy. Before she can answer, the moderator intervenes and tries to deflect the subject. Harnaaz is visibly reluctant to answer the question while the reporter and moderator engage in a tussle of words over whether Harnaaz should be talking about the hijab controversy at an event that is meant to shed light on her struggles on the Miss Universe journey.
When the reporter persists in his pursuit of eliciting a response from Harnaaz, she does respond, but not without purporting herself to be a “target” in the controversy when she was only asked to give her opinion as Miss Universe.
“Why do you always target the girl?” says Harnaaz. “Even right now you’re targeting me. In the hijab controversy, you’re also targeting the girl. Let her live the way she wants to. Let her reach her destiny. Let her fly. Those are her aspirations, her wings. Don’t clip them, clip yours.”
Given the pageant’s aim to represent women, their aspirations, freedom, beauty, and individuality, one wouldn’t have expected Harnaaz to hesitate to share her views on the restrictions being placed on women’s choice of clothing. However, she is being praised for not skipping the question when she had the choice to. Harnaaz had urged young women to “stop comparing themselves with others and talk about more important things happening worldwide” in response to the final question on the Miss Universe stage.