Hindu-Muslim lesbian couple praised for 'breaking stereotypes'
![The pair's anniversary photoshoot went viral on social media. [Photo: Getty]](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/cp_Y9uYN8SxQW3qM_G6rvA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjg-/https://media-mbst-pub-ue1.s3.amazonaws.com/creatr-uploaded-images/2019-08/34df9780-b786-11e9-9bfd-a6b1a5033207)
Anjali Chakra and Sundas Malik from New York marked the occasion of their first wedding anniversary with a photoshoot.
Sundas is a Muslim from Pakistan and Anjali is Hindu from India. They enlisted the help of their photographer friend, Sarowar Ahmed, to document their special day.
The photoshoot, which has since gone viral, has been hailed for bringing together two divided nations.
Half a million people have shared their photos, which were captioned “A New York love story”.
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The photos were taken in Bryant Park, Manhattan and show the couple adorned in beautiful, traditional gowns.
“People from all over the world have been reaching out to us to say that they were touched by our story and our photos, and that’s so heartwarming.”
“It made us realise that when a whole group of people don’t get representation in the media, simply existing openly as a member of that group makes a difference.”
“We feel good about all the young LGBTQIA girls, non-binary people, and boys looking at our photos, feeling seen and not alone.” They told Metro.co.uk.
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The couple’s special photoshoot wasn’t just to commemorate their anniversary.
It also marked the first time that Sundas was meeting Anjali’s extended family, making it a double celebration.
The images have racked up hundreds of thousands of likes and with that, comes the unfortunate presence of trolls.
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“We realise that those words are coming from people who likely don’t understand or have exposure to LGBTQIA issues.” The couple said.
‘We want to acknowledge that the homophobia in the comments is indicative of the unsafe and often violent environments so many of our LGBTQIA siblings live in.”
“We hope that this representation starts conversations that are a step towards a safer future.”
