By: LakshmiPS
A Bangladeshi actress has been forced to apologise after remarks construed as admitting atheism.
Safa Kabir, an actress and model who has appeared in top Bangladeshi television dramas, told a private radio station this week she did not believe in the afterlife.
“I don’t believe in life after death. Actually, I never believe in what I can’t see,” she said, in comments that some took as a rejection of Muslim beliefs in heaven and hell.
The remarks caused a storm on social media, with footage of the interview going viral, and Kabir faced a torrent of criticism in the conservative Muslim country.
On Tuesday, the 24-year-old then posted an apology on Facebook, denying she is an atheist.
“If I committed any mistake, I seek forgiveness from the most merciful. He is the most merciful and forgiving. He will definitely forgive me,” she wrote.
“If my words hurt any one’s belief, I am sorry for this and I ask for forgiveness,” she added in a post that quickly accumulated over 60,000 comments.
Atheism is largely taboo in Bangladesh. Many leading atheists have fled the country and are living in exile in the West.
(AFP)