The father of one of the child stars of Slumdog Millionaire is accused of attempting to sell his daughter.
The British tabloid rag News of the World reportedly caught wind of rumors that Rafiq Qureshi, father of 9 year old Slumdog star Rubina Ali, had been in talks with a Middle Eastern family who wished to “adopt” his daughter…. to the tune of £50,000. A News of the World reporter then posed as a “sheik” who contacted the girl’s uncle to arrange a meeting. The girl was then offered to the fake sheik for an increased price of £200,000.
Rubina’s uncle is believed to have confirmed the family were interested in ‘selling’ the young star for millions of rupees.
‘Yes, we are interested in securing our girl’s future… Obviously if you wanted to adopt we could discuss this, but her parents would also expect some proper compensation in return,’ the paper quoted the uncle as saying.
Rubina’s father, Rafiq, is reportedly angry that his family has not received enough compensation for Rubina’s part in Slumdog. Although director Danny Boyle set up trust funds to finance the education of all of the film’s child stars, and a sound engineer who worked on the film bought luxury apartments for the kids and their families, Rafiq claims that he hasn’t see any of it.
Mr Qureshi said: “What they showed in the film is exactly how life is here. The Government doesn’t help us. We get nothing.
“We live in one room. Seven of us sleep on the floor. I earn £2 to £3 a day. I have to consider what is best for me, my family and for Rubina’s future.”
The illegal trafficking of girls from India to the Middle East, where they are taken to work as sex slaves and domestic servants, is considered a serious problem.
When the allegations came to light, Rubina’s mother showed up at Rafiq’s house and demanded that the child be released to her custody. That visit ended with Rubina’s mother and step mother punching and choking each other in front of Rubina’s house.
Of course the father is denying the allegations, saying that he thought he was negotiating a paycheck for a job, attempting to secure a new acting role for Rubina, and didn’t understand everything that was being said to him.
Someone get Madonna and Angelina Jolie on a plane to India right now.
The whole post is sad, but “Someone get Madonna and Angelina Jolie on a plane to India right now.” is hilarious!
What a scumbag.
That is fucking disgusting! What kind of man would sell his own child into slavery???? Maybe we should take up a collection to buy this unfortunate child and give her to Brad and Angie? Anything to get her away from her greedy evil family.
While I agree that the whole situation is sad, I don’t think it’s that unusual, particularly for that part of the world where things like “bride prices” are still recognized and in effect…
God, money h*cks people up!
Don’t tell the Gosselins . . . they might try to sell theirs once they are done squeezing all the life out out of them.
Or Octomom/pussy!
just because she is a star and known across the world due to her lucky movie role doesn’t change who she is or where she comes from. this is how they do things there. do i agree? no way. but thankfully in this one girl’s case, her fame will likely save her.
Whoaa, let’s all take a step back here alright! “This is how they do things there”??? You mean trade of their offsprings is something Indians dabble in typically? Please make sense of what you are trying to say! I can understand the general outrage at that specific person trying to sell his daughter and wouldn’t even attempt to justufy his actions regardless of the conditions he might be living in, coz I refuse to understand a situation where you’d want to sell your kid but to pass a statement like “this is how they do things there”, well NO this is NOT how we do things there! O.K.!
Selling of daughters is common in India and many other countries, not saying its right just saying…
Actually before everyone yells at me, im not sure about my use of the word “common” but it is most certainly not unheard of.
Yeah, it’s just as common as polygamy is in the U.S.! Things happen, weird things, in every corner of the world but let’s not treat them like it’s the norm over there! (And that was my point to begin with!)
So therefore it should be accepted? We shouldn’t condem it just because it’s another culture? Were you people not raised with a moral compass? By your logic we should have never done away with slavery, after all, it’s just the culture of the south so we shouldn’t judge.
….unreal….
Oh My God! You totally miss the point don’t you? Did you even read the original comment?? My problem was with the original commenters’ statement that “that’s how things are done there” and my response was that it’s not how things are done here, we don’t regularly hawk our kids off to rich Arabs!
We are raised to think, READ what the other person has written, understand and then question their moral compass. Clearly something totally unreal to you!
Kris buddy, Jennifer wasn’t talking to you. If you notice, her reply is aligned with yeayea’s, so that means her response was for yeayea, not you.
You made excellent points and no one’s hounding on you.
Son of a bitch! I would like to sell his ass, to see what that fucking stupid is gonna do!
OMG could we PLEASE get some more posts ? it seems like when kelly comes for the weekend we dont get much. not compared to wendie and beet. im so annoyed
I find the outrage sadly amusing. Everyone gets worked up about it when it’s someone in the public eye but the same thing and worse goes on across most of Asia every day and no one gets upset about it.
When something bad happens to a girl like this or a Rhianna, everyone is up in arms. When it’s the girl across the street or the kids across Asia, nothing. Ask yourself, what have you done to stop this sort of abuse? If the answer is nothing…
How can we get upset about it if we aren’t aware? People are only aware of these things when it hits the news and sadly it only hits the news when some sort of famous person is involved. Blame yourself, you’re on a gossip blog not humanrights.org
@ Soleil – I am from ‘that part of the world where things like bride prices are still recognized and in effect.” When I get married, the man I marry will also pay a bride price to my family. And that bride price is Rs 400 (amount varies depending on different customs and traditions).
Now let me explain how far Rs 400 can go here – if I go out for a meal at a decent restaurant, I can get maybe an appetizer with Rs 400. Or maybe ditch the paltry appetizer and can buy a few comic books instead. Or I can buy myself a happy meal at Mc Donalds. I can buy two pints of beer, but I can’t even buy a bottle of very cheap wine with it. Put simply, Rs 400 is nothing.
Nobody cares for this bride money financially, but it’s still ‘recognized and in effect’ because it is a part of our tradition and culture, a practice that’s been handed down through many generations for many ages because of the many symbolic and spiritual meanings attached to it.
Anyway, all I’m trying to say is that it is ridiculously absurd to connect this hideous and monstrous act with the fact that ‘bride money’ is still a part of our lives in this part of the world.
I’m sorry if you were offended by my comment.
The reason traditions like that still exist in your country, Me, are because of women like you. Weak women like you.
You defend your country’s gender oppression just like African women defend genital mutilation of young girls, just like older Chinese women defended foot binding, just like Utah women defend polygamous marriages, and just like Rihanna is defending Chris Brown. YOU’RE the reason your country is as genderly messed up as it is.
Someone give Mercedes’ address to Chris Brown. No more women’s lip from you. :D
Speaking of lips, how big are yours? Just perse them just like that, yeah, hold it there, yeah… yeah…
*snort*
@ Mercedes – You have no idea what you’re talking about but it’s just exasperating trying to explain things like these to people like you who speak of world cultures and traditions like you’re an expert, while all you know is what read on gossip sites and trashy shows on TV. And I doubt very much you ever gleaned anything of note from your schoolbooks. Sadly, there are too many morons who saw Slumdog Millionaire and think they know everything about India. And someone from a culturally messed up country dictating whats wrong or right with ANY other country’s traditions at all is just hilarious.
And because you seemed to have missed it, I’ll repeat, I’m not condoning this act. It’s not a part of any of our traditions, and it is a beastly act, and personally I’d love to see the father imprisoned for life.
OK slow down there b/c you’re missing MY point. I’m not trying to “speak of world cultures like I’m an expert”, I think lots of countries have wonderful traditions. And I was NOT implying you were condoning the father’s act, you clearly misunderstood my comment. I was talking about the way you defended bride money. You made it seem like just b/c it’s a small amount of $, it doesn’t do as much damage as it really does in instilling into the mind’s of women in your country that they are somehow not as equal as men. It’s the very idea that a man has to “buy” his “property” from the father regardless of the $amount b/c a woman is not a strong being in and of herself. My point was that it wasn’t even a rule that men created and men support but women in your country are fighting against; THEY’VE convinced YOU that this ok and normal and here you are defending men treating you and other women inferiorly. In Africa, it’s not the older men that force genital mutilation, even though it was invented by them to make them feel dominant. It’s the older WOMEN who hold the legs of little girls as they mutilate them and convince themselves that this is a long and revered tradition that must be continued and is good. An abused person goes through 2 stages: realizing they’re being abused, and then getting help. the fact that you don’t even realize how harmful “little tiny payments” are means you’re not even at the first stage yet and it’s sad b/c you’re going to continue thinking it’s OK and keep saying that these traditions are great and important and should continue and b/c you and all the other women are convinced to think this way no one will ever rebel and fight for qomen’s equal rights.
I feel so sorry for this poor girl
what kind of relative would try to sell a little girl!!!!
This makes me so emotional. what kind of human beings are these?
Didn’t Madonna buy David Banda? I know the kid was living in an orphanage, but his family visited him regularly. His mother was dead, but his father and grandmother had hoped to eventually be able to afford to care for him and take him home. Supposedly, Madonna saw him and the orphange approached the family and told them he could live with a rich woman. They decided he would have a better quality of life, so off he went. I guess it’s all in how you spin it.
“how much for the little girl? i want to buy your children! sell us your children” –Blues Brothers
With a population over a billion, human life is very cheap.
Could you imagine competing for jobs in a country like this? They have more honor students than we have students TOTAL. What are you to do if you are a poor uneducated peasant?
Yes, it is a horrible thing but the father will be able to provide for the rest of his family. Depending on who adopts the daughter it is even possible her life will be better (hey, it’s a long shot I know).
Look at Britney Spears and Ms Meth-head Lohan. Both of them would have been better off if someone had taken them from their parents.
sometimes,because of the disaster ,you will get a more happiness.