MUMBAI: After almost a year, Bollywood lyricist and poet Javed Akhtar has reignited the debate on azaan being played in a loudspeaker.
Backing singer Sonu Nigam, Javed Akhtar says ‘loudspeakers should not be used by the mosque’ or any place of worship.
Taking to his Twitter Javed Akhtar wrote, “This is to put on record that I totally agree with all those including Sonu Nigam who want that loudspeakers should not be used by the mosques and for that matter by any place of worship in residential areas”.
This is to put on record that I totally agree with all those including Sonu Nigam who want that Loud speakers should not be used by the mosques and for that matter by any place of worship in residential areas .
— Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) February 7, 2018
Several members of the social media began voicing their opinions in response to the poet’s tweet:
Being a Muslim I don't have problem with loudspeakers or any religion activity .I respect all religions every religion has it's own history everyone has a right to practice .i request all use something else to b in limelight leave religions aside
— Syed shuja andrabi (@Shujaandrabi4u) February 7, 2018
Why only places of worship …? Why not night weddings and political events…. can you please answer
— Kaderji (@kaderjii) February 7, 2018
Waise toh aapke is tweet se hi aapke intensions patachal gaye the magar other teeets dekh ke lag gaya about ur hypocracy
— Aashish Kumar-AK 🇮🇳 (@Apunbindas) February 7, 2018
Akhtar, in response to many of the dissenting voices later tweeted, “Maen har galat baat Kay Khilaf awaaz uthata hoon. Mushkil yehi hai ke aap dusron ki galti to maan saktay hain Magar apni nahin (I have raised a voice against all wrong practices. The problem is that you can recognise others’ mistakes, but not your own.”
Maen har galat baat Kay Khilaf awaaz uthata hoon . Mushkil yehi hai ke aap dusron ki galti to maan saktay hain Magar apni nahin .
— Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) February 7, 2018
Last year, the 43-year-old singer’s controversial tweet on azaan created a storm online.
Calling it “forced religiousness”, Nigam on April 16, tweeted, “God bless everyone. I’m not a Muslim and I have to be woken up by the Azaan in the morning. When will this forced religiousness end in India.”
“And by the way Mohammed (PBUH) did not have electricity when he made Islam. Why do I have to have this cacophony after Edison? I don’t believe in any temple or Gurudwara using electricity to wake up people who don’t follow the religion. Why then? Honest? True?. Gundagardi hai bus.”
The singer even got his head tonsured by a celebrity hairstylist at a press conference in Mumbai in response to a ‘fatwa’ by a Muslim cleric who took strong exception to the Bollywood playback singer’s tweets .