• Home
• /
• World
• /
• Gulf

Top actress explains why she gave up film career

DUBAI - As part of Dubai International Holy Quran Award activities, an Islamic lecture titled "My reason for giving up acting career" was held on Thursday at Rashid Hospital Auditorium under the patronage of Shaikha Hind bint Juma Al Maktoum, wife of General Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Minister of Defence.

The lecture was delivered by Shahira, who was one of the prominent actresses of Egypt. She is wife of renowned film star Mahmoud Yassin and mother of actress Rania, but gave up her acting career in 1992 and chose to closely follow the Islamic path with all its morals and virtues.

In her lecture, Shahira stressed that acting has a respectful noble mission of conveying messages that aim at serving people and the society as a whole. "Actors can play a positive and vital role in their societies through works which highlight crucial issues such as Muslim women's rights and freedom in addition to the works which speak about various Islamic and historical figures who contributed through their hard work to bringing prosperity to Islam and to their countries," Shahira said.

" Since my childhood I always dreamt of being an actress and couldn't imagine myself in any other career but acting. My dream was accomplished when I became a well-known actress in Egypt. I devoted all my life and efforts to performing respectful roles that mainly aimed at serving the society and the Arab nation.

"Throughout my career, I never performed any obscene scene that I regret and be ashamed of," Shahira said. She added that God has granted every human being a hidden talent that needs to be explored in the right manner.

Explaining the main reasons for quitting, Shahira said: "I always felt close to God and performing my prayers was a way of life for me. I felt that most of my time is allocated to my career and my role as a wife and a mother, and so there was not enough time dedicated for worshipping God.

"The decision to quit acting was a surprise to my family as they knew I loved and cherished my career so much. To date I still remember that day clearly as if it happened on Saturday. I was reading the Holy Quran and precisely Surrat Al Haj and while reading the verses I felt strongly shaken deep within me and decided immediately to leave anything in my life and get closer to God. At this particular moment, I felt I could better communicate with God than any other time," she added

Forsaking her career at the peak of her success was not a decision that Shahira regretted or will ever do.

"My life after wearing the Hijab has changed drastically in a better way and I noticed that I have become more forgiving, peaceful, patient and willing to bear and forgive others' misbehaviour."

Shahira urged the women audience to regularly read the Holy Quran and to attend Islamic lectures which, she said, had contributed to consolidating her will to move in the right path and made her understand more about Islam, thus feel closer to God and submissive to His will.