Sıla Şahin

Sıla Şahin

Sıla Şahin with Jörn Schlönvoigt in 2010
Born 3 December 1985
Spandau, West Berlin, Germany

Sıla Şahin (born 3 December 1985 in Spandau, Berlin[1]) is a Turkish-German actress, best known for her portrayal of Ayla Özgül in the German soap opera Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten.[2][3]

German Playboy

Şahin posed nude for the German edition of Playboy magazine in May, 2011, and became the first Turkish woman to appear on the cover of the magazine.[4] The move upset some conservative members of her family.[5] Muslim conservatives have also reacted negatively in threads and websites,[6] while Muslim Indian-American writer Asra Nomani wrote of the relation of the Islamic term awrah to Şahin, and to other Muslim women including Nomani herself, concluding with an expression of hope in "finding a middle ground" between traditional and evolving mores.[7]

In the interview published in the magazine, Şahin described her act as one of liberation and described it as a revolution akin to Che Guevara:

"My upbringing was conservative, I was always told, you must not go out, you must not make yourself look so attractive, you mustn’t have male friends. I have always abided by what men say. As a result I developed an extreme desire for freedom. I feel like Che Guevara. I have to do everything I want, otherwise I feel like I may as well be dead."[8]

However, Florian Boitin, the editor in chief of German Playboy, claims Sıla Şahin is not a Muslim,[9] saying, “Sila isn't Muslim. Her father doesn't belong to any [religion] and her mother is Christian. And the Playboy cover with Sila Sahin is not a religious statement.”

Personal life

Şahin was born to an actor father[1] and lives in Charlottenburg.[10] She is 1.71 m (5 ft 7 1⁄2 in) tall and speaks four languages: German, Kurdish, Turkish and English.[11][12][13]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Sıla Şahin". www.pe-ensemble.de (in German). Retrieved 2 May 2010.
  2. ↑ "Sıla bei GZSZ". RTL (in German). Retrieved 2 May 2010.
  3. ↑ Zistler, Verena (18 September 2009). "Erste Türkin bekommt Hauptrolle bei GZSZ". Bild (in German). Retrieved 2 May 2010.
  4. ↑ Herzinger, Richard (20 April 2011). "Unveiled: First Turkish Woman to Pose for German Playboy". Time. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
  5. ↑ "Sila Sahin is the first Turkish Muslim to strip for German Playboy". GlobalPost. 21 April 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
  6. ↑ Hall, Allan (27 April 2011). "Fanatics' fury at Muslim Playgirl". The Sun. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
  7. ↑ Nomani, Asra Q. (1 May 2011). "Playboy's Muslim Cover Girl: Is Sıla Şahin Good for Women?". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  8. ↑ Fox, Holly (21 April 2011). "Turkish-German woman's Playboy cover stirs controversy". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
  9. ↑ Jo Piazza (May 6, 2011). "Exclusive: German Playboy Says Cover Model Sila Sahin Not Muslim, Death Threats Exaggerated". Fox News. Retrieved 8 May 2011.
  10. ↑ Peter, Stefan (16 September 2009). "Die Berlinerin Sıla Şahin bei GZSZ". B.Z. (in German). Retrieved 2 May 2010.
  11. ↑ Bio of Sıla Şahin at www.international-actors.de
  12. ↑ Agentur International Actors at Actors Connection
  13. ↑ Sıla Şahin official Homepage

External links