The very talented and renowned, Oscar winning music director Mr. A R Rahman received an unwarranted acclamation for one of his recent works in form of a ‘Fatwa’ issued to him by a Sunni group of academicians forming Raza Academy. The said Fatwa has been issued to him for giving music to an Iranian film named “Muhammad: Messenger of God”, which according to Islamic scholars of Raza academy will allegedly hurt the sentiments of the Muslims in the country.
The point to be noted here is that the film is yet to be released anywhere and the people who issued the A R Rahman Fatwa categorically denied having watched it. Their objection in their own words is entirely based just on the name of the “movie”.
Raza Academy’s fatwa not only pronounced Muslims associated with the film, including Rahman as ‘Infidels’ but also appealed to Muslims all over the World to protest against it.
One should not be shocked at Raza Academy’s conduct knowing that their only brush up with any fame was for organizing a protest rally in August 2012 at Azad Maidan which later turned violent and infamously resulted in Azad Maidan riots.
On the day of the incident, several rioters went on a rampage torching police vehicles, BEST buses, media vans, and other private vehicles present at the spot. The pictures of some mad religious fanatics kicking Amar Jawan Jyoti and breaking it on that unfortunate day would be still fresh in many minds.
Later on, a notice for recovery of several crore rupees was served to Raza Academy for destruction of public property on the behest of the then state government and Bombay high court.
Ironically this Sunni organization calls itself as the propagator of Islamic beliefs through research and publication works and they think this A R Rahman fatwa is in line with their intellect prowess.
However the most shocking thing about whole incident is the deadly silence of all the so called Adarsh liberals on A R Rahman Fatwa. All those pretty ladies of Bollywood speaking out their minds on everything under the sun, right from selfie-with-daughter to meat ban issues have suddenly decided to go mute when indeed this time it is one of their own fraternity members facing the heat.
The sane voices of all those advocating expression of freedom during previous Bollywood movies like PK and Jodha Akbar have suddenly decided to stay mum on A R Rahman Fatwa. No one is expressing their grave concerns, no one is shedding tears on the name of ‘Long Live the Truth’, no one’s freedom of expression is in danger and no one now cares to cast their free will opinion.
Indeed the only vocal representation from Bollywood came from Shabana Azmi who claimed that “A ‘fatwa’ is only a recommendation and cannot be imposed”.
Well, better tell that to Salman Rushdie or Taslima Nasreen!
Sweet coating the threats isn’t going to do much for reducing the impact anyways.
Such diplomatic statements of denial instead of condemning them strictly actually encourages these fanatics to keep repeating such nonsense. The impending question is till what time will we hide between these veils of bad and good interpretations? When we all can get very vocal and furious during a Khap panchayat verdict or in duration’s of any call of protests by right wing hardliners, why not do the same now?
Why not apply the same yardstick to these Fatwa maniacs who think themselves as the sole flag bearer of their religion. A R Rahman fatwa is no more about being tolerant or intolerant but it is about time when we will have to decide whether we want to address it straight to the face or would we still like to burry our heads in the sand and pretend everything to be fine.
Let me be clear- they got it wrong doesn’t works anymore. A lot of people around the world keep getting it wrong repeatedly exactly in the same manner and people have started getting panicked. Otherwise how exactly would you explain the detention of a 14 year old boy in USA whose self-build alarm clock was misunderstood for something else?
If we really want to save the true spirit of any religion, ignorance no more is an option. There are no good and bad interpretations of the same thing just like there is nothing good or bad in terrorism.
This is our country, this is our religion and this is our world. If we have to keep it sane and secure let us do away with this shroud of diplomacy and say what needs to be said and do what needs to be done.
A step towards the progressive nation and a more tolerant society requires neither a selective outrage nor a collective silence. Sooner we understand better it would be. Till then, its just sorry Mr. Rahman!