Islamists today dug out Bollywood singer Sonu Nigam’s 2017 tweet where he had expressed displeasure over use of loudspeakers at religious places and attacked him, calling him ‘hateful’.
Now Sonu Nigam 🤣 ! Drub him royally by putting him in a cell with a loudspeaker calling out the call for prayer 5 times a day. #nooraAlghurair #HendAlQassimi pic.twitter.com/5KHVifw8Ym
— Sabnam Fatima (@SabnamFatima) April 21, 2020
Many even tagged Dubai Police in their tweets urging them to take action against Sonu.
@DubaiPoliceHQ@alnassar_kw@AlGhurair98
— Mohamed Habibullah (@MohamedHabibul2) April 21, 2020
Hi
Please take action against the singer @sonunigam pic.twitter.com/K7Hf307R62 pic.twitter.com/x45uBWhicA
Owing to coronavirus pandemic, Sonu Nigam is currently stuck in Dubai as he was in the gulf country when the worldwide travel restrictions were put in place. After he started getting hate directed towards him, he deactivated his account.
Sonu Nigam has deactivated his twitter account whilst living in Dubai .
— Er.Altaf Ansari ( Stay home stay safe ) (@altaf4u89) April 21, 2020
guess he loves the sweet sound of the azaan now. #सोनू_निगम_तुम_कहां_हो @HansrajMeena pic.twitter.com/o2H1fTWMvu
It is pertinent to note here that Nigam did not have issues with azaan, but usage of loudspeaker for the same. He had earlier expressed displeasure over loudspeaker during Ganpati Visarjan as well.Sir indian bollywood singer #sonunigam is stuck in dubai in lockdown he have problem with azan voice can ku pls sovle her problem?
— Mohammad Mazhar (@Mohamma98300069) April 20, 2020
He was then mocked for having deleted his Twitter account.
See this also this is in Dubai now sonu nigam Indian singer pic.twitter.com/IU7B6lrfRI
— में_भी_Zoya (@SaveZiddi) April 20, 2020
Sonu Nigam azaan controversy
Back in April 2017, Sonu Nigam stirred up a storm after tweeting his exasperation of usage of loudspeakers for azaan, the prayer call for Muslims. Even back then, the fundamentalists had attacked him for voicing his displeasure against the forced religiousness through loudspeakers. Some had even wished for throat cancer for the singer for wanting to stop usage of loudspeaker for azaan. After his tweet went viral, a bounty of Rs 21 crore was given on his head by one Rizwan Malik for the same. A maulvi in West Bengal issued a fatwa and announced a prize of 10 lakh rupees for any person who shaves the head of Sonu Nigam. Sonu took the fatwa head-on and proceeded to himself shave his head. But, the Maulvi refused to pay up, citing that he had two more conditions: that someone put a garland of old torn shoes around his neck and tour him around the country.
Two youths in Madhya Pradesh were reportedly stabbed after they expressed solidarity with Sonu Nigam. Shivam Rai a resident of Ujjain had posted his support for Sonu on Facebook and also declared that henceforth he would only listen to his songs. This incensed some muslim youths from Begumgunj and a verbal spat ensured. He was also allegedly threatened over the phone by these youths named Mohammad Nagori and Faizan Khan and eventually stabbed, along with his friend.
Law on usage of loudspeakers
In a 2015 the Bombay High Court had observed that there were about 822 Mosques and 90 Temples which did not have licenses to operate loudspeakers. Also in 2014 the Bombay High court had called for a removal of Illegal loudspeakers from Religious structures in Navi Mumbai and Mumbai the order which was also welcomed by Muslim leaders.
While the ruling applies to all religions, hardly any religion seems to be following the rules. Also for those who are indulging in whataboutery, about whether Sonu has only singled out Islam, in 2014 Sonu had posted about the noise and the lack of cleanliness during Ganesh visarjan.
