Tennis star Sania Mirza, who is in the eye of a storm over shooting an ad film in the premises of the Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad, tendered an unequivocal apology on Thursday for hurting religious sentiments.
"I would like to apologise to all my brothers and sisters and respected elders who are anguished by my unwittingly entering a portion of the land belonging to Mecca Masjid," Sania said in a letter to the Imam of the Masjid.
The apology "with a deep sense of remorse" came in the backdrop of the city police registering a case of trespass against Sania and the ad agency for filming the commercial allegedly without obtaining permission from the authorities.
As Muslim organisations and puritans raised objections over Sania appearing in the shooting in the mosque premises, the tennis sensation said she was not aware that entering the outside gates of a mosque was also seriously objectionable.
"While I am fully aware that a woman must not enter the sanctity of the mosque, I was unaware that even entering the outside gates of a mosque was seriously objectionable, specially without permission, which I was assured by the agency they possessed.
"However, I would like to unequivocally tender my apology to all my brothers and sisters for hurting their sentiments," she said. Sania maintained that the commercial was aimed at promoting the heritage monument of Charminar which is a symbol of Hyderabad.
