A.R. Rahman in trouble; fatwa issued against the singer

The Iranian film Muhummad: Messenger of God has been met with criticism for portraying Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in the film. The film has earned controversy and the anger of Muslims around the world. Most recently, a Muslim group issued a fatwa against renowned singer and composer A.R. Rahman.

“We are against the title. People may use it in a bad manner if they don’t like the film, which will mean an insult to the Prophet. The actors have charged money to act in the film and they may have dubious character in real life. How can we Muslims allow such things to happen?” asked Saeed Noorie, chief of a prominent Raza academy. Raza Academy initiated the fatwa that was issued by the chief clergy of Mumbai- Muhummad Akhtar.

Mr Saeed was of the view that even if all the cast and crew members in the film were Muslim and not American or Danish, they should be made to realise their mistake.

“We would have been criticised if we had condemned American or Danish filmmakers. If it’s an insult, then it is an insult and the person’s religion doesn’t matter,” he said.  “They have erred and they must apologise,” he said.

The fatwa called for prominent Muslims working in the film, such as Iranian director Majid Majidi and A.R. Rahman. The fatwa called for both of them to recite the kalima and solemnize their marriage again.

The fatwa has also called for Muslims to criticize the film publicly and stage protests against it, within their ‘legal limits’. A.R. Rahman was not available for comment.