Dear Suhana and Nahid Haters, Do Tune Into Rafi’s Devotional Songs

A 16-year-old singer from Assam, Nahid Afrin, found herself at the receiving end of a fatwa by 46 clerics on Wednesday.

Her fault?

Afrin was set to perform on 25 March in Udali Sonai Bibi College, in the vicinity of a mosque and a graveyard, which according to the fatwa “will attract the wrath of Allah.”

This comes only a few days after Suhana Syed, a Muslim girl from Karnataka, was trolled, heavily criticised, and abused by Muslim radicals because she sang a devotional song meant for Hindu gods and goddesses.

The 22-year-old girl sang the bhajan on a reality show on Zee, and all hell broke loose, even after she received a standing ovation from the judges. Those dastardly keyboard warriors of the internet took to a Facebook group to troll Suhana.

The poor girl was trolled endlessly and was even asked to rid herself of the burkha, as they felt she wasn’t worthy of it by singing a bhajan.

And so, here’s a jukebox especially for the trolls and clerics who have narrow minds!

Do they know that the legendary singer Mohammed Rafi has sung several Hindu devotional songs for Bollywood.

Wait! We really don’t need to rewind so far back in time, do we? Remember the soulful O Palanhaare from Lagaan? This devotional melody was composed by AR Rahman and written by Javed Akhtar for a film produced by Aamir Khan. Get the point?

Returning to the legendary Mohammed Rafi, who can forget his melodious Sukh Ke Sab Saathi, Dukh Mein Na Koi... enacted by Dilip “Yusuf Khan” Kumar?

The inimitable Sahir Ludhianvi too wrote many devotional songs which have been immortalised in Hindi films.

Before we go, here’s another song which was readied by a team made up entirely of Muslim artistes and singers – Madhuban Me Radhika Naache Re from Kohinoor, sung by Aamir Khan and Mohammed Rafi, with lyrics by Shakeel Badayuni and music by Naushad Ali.

Dear trolls, we hope this jukebox helped open up your narrow minds and views a little.