‘Besides that we live in Tatarstan, we also live in Russia’
Saida Mukhametzyanova criticised the holding of Fashion Iftar. The organisers responded
The organisers of Fashion Iftar responded to the criticism of the famous Tatar performer, Saida Mukhametzyanova, who, after attending the social event, complained about the division of zones into VIP and non-VIP, problems with sound, and the predominance of Russian over Tatar. The singer's statement caused a wide public outcry. Opinions of the parties — in the material of Realnoe Vremya.
Iftar and Muslim Fashion Show
This year, Fashion Iftar has been held in Kazan for the seventh time and gathered a thousand Muslim women on one site. Women in white clothes (this year the organisers chose this colour for the dress code) took part in the conversation and watched the Muslim fashion show and performances by artists, among whom there was well-known and beloved by many singer Saida Mukhametzyanova. She posted a post on social networks, where she could not restrain herself and not express her opinion about the organisation of the event. First of all, the finalist of the show “The Voice. Children” was unpleasantly surprised that at iftar the organisers divided the zones into VIP and non-VIP. The bulk of the guests were sitting on the ground floor, while a small part of those who came watched her from the height of the upper one. Besides, Mukhametzyanova was surprised that there was little Tatar language at the event: “If we were in Kazakhstan or China, I am 100% sure that they would have spoken their native language there.”
Saida Mukhametzyanova's post on social networks provoked a heated discussion. In most cases, the criticism was considered constructive and they complained that in the modern world even iftar — a sacred rite of worship — is turned into a show.
Realnoe Vremya asked the organisers to comment on the singer's opinion. First of all, they conveyed the words of the founder of the fashionable iftar, Dzannat Mingazova, that none of the organisers holds a grudge against Saida.
“Everyone has the right to express their opinion, we accept any point of view, even if it is negative. We have always been and will be glad to see Saida at any of our events," the organisers noted.
As for the division of the site into zones, this, in their opinion, does not correspond to reality — there are no VIP and non-VIP zones:
“The second floor is reserved for designers and partners who monitor the catwalk of models. Here we had an exit zone for models, a technical part, a room where models change clothes, technicians are also located there. The partners who were on the second floor controlled the event itself from above so that they could see better. Besides, the closest of the organisers — their parents — were on the top floor. This is the only exception. We do not have any divisions into VIP and non-VIP. Iftar is for everyone. A thousand people come here every year. We do not deprive anyone of our attention. We don't have selection. Admission to the event is free. Feeding a thousand people is also free. We don't choose anyone. Those who sign up, they come," the organisers explained.
“We were 2 minutes late, we admit it”
The next point, which the performer noted in a negative light, was technical problems during the performance. By the way, other Tatar pop singers say the same in the comments, who recall that there were problems with sound in the past years of Fashion Iftar. The organisers themselves recognised this flaw and explained the situation by saying that “technicians are also people”:
“Unforeseen circumstances can happen to any team, even the most professional. We, the organisers, pay for everything out of our own pocket, no one budgets it. This year there have been some problems in technical terms, but everyone reacted to it with understanding, because technology is an unpredictable thing.
Those present at the iftar agreed with Saida's criticism that the azan started later, and loud music was still playing during the prayer, which was later muted.
“We were 2 minutes late, we admit it, but it is very difficult to organise such a complex process minute by minute. Shifting the programme by 2-3 minutes is quite acceptable," there was the answer.
The organisers acknowledged that most of the event was conducted in Russian, but noted that there is nothing shameful about it.
“The presenter thanked the designers in Tatar after each show and spoke two languages during the presentation. Why the event is conducted mainly in Russian — we can answer that, in addition to living in Tatarstan, we also live in Russia. Naturally, we have guests who speak only Russian, despite the fact that they are Muslims. We have two official languages in the republic, and the event is conducted in both," the organisers retorted.
In conclusion, the organisers of the annual Fashion Iftar once again reminded that the fashion iftar remains free, it is held with the money of the organisers, the main sponsors, the number of seats increases every year.
“So that everyone, and not VIP guests, the most ordinary people, women of all classes and material possibilities, have a chance to touch the fashion show. For Dzannat, as the founder of this project, such a concept is very important. Every year we support it and do not switch to any commercial formats," the organisers stressed.
It should be noted that every year a social problem is raised at the fashionable iftar. In 2023, the main topic is the fight against violence against women.