Singer Sonu Nigam seems to be having a bad Monday. The singer let out his early morning frustrations on Twitter after he said he was awoken by a mosque's Azaan, and called for an end to “forced religiousness”
in India.
Sonu went on to question why electric loudspeakers were used in mosques when “Mohammed did not have electricity when he made Islam.”
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
— Sonu Nigam (@sonunigam) April 16, 2017
And by the way Mohammed did not have electricity when he made Islam.. Why do I have to have this cacophony after Edison?
— Sonu Nigam (@sonunigam) April 17, 2017
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?
— Sonu Nigam (@sonunigam) April 17, 2017
Twitter, though, was not happy with his complaints. By early afternoon, dozens had pushed back against the singer and his tweet, which many saw as hypocritical, and an attack on secularism and
religious tolerance.
Azaan should be stopped in India, where millions of Muslims live, because desh ka laadla Sonu Nigam can't sleep. Where is the tolerance? FO.
— Sheru. (@iamzaalima) April 17, 2017
I'm not hindu, but I had to breathe in the diwali pollution every year lolhttps://t.co/Fn09jCYwnU
— Yung Bhakt (@GrunthusGrumpus) April 17, 2017
Loudspeaker playing his own songs tweet
Unfortunate that we have given Sonu Nigam today what he craved for: attention.
— Shivam Vij (@DilliDurAst) April 17, 2017
God bless everyone. I'm not a Hindu but I'm not allowed to eat beef. When will this forced religiousness end in India? https://t.co/tp1vyOoh5v
— Err (@Errendous) April 17, 2017
@sonunigam So true.Only cows should be made to moo in morning on loudspeaker in jugalbadi with Sonu to remind u not to eat beef https://t.co/WuulAAn8BR
— #DestroyTheAadhaar (@Stupidosaur) April 17, 2017
@DrShwetaGulati @sonunigam @ShaileshMIndia azaan ends in 3 minutes
— Mullah Awesome (@Faesal_Ah) April 17, 2017
Sonu, who does not follow Islam, followed up by saying temples and gurdwaras should not be allowed to use electricity to "wake up people who don't follow the religion" either.
One user pointed out that Nigam doesn’t seem to have a problem when speakers are blaring his own songs.
Loudspeakers should be banned for any religious or social event in public places.Including weddings where your songs blare through the night https://t.co/5McMMq6eX2
— Nidhi Razdan (@RazdanNidhi) April 17, 2017
And others pointed out that Azaan goes on for only a few minutes – and that the singer therefore shouldn’t have an issue.
Absolutely! Political correctness on religious matters must go. Remove loudspeakers from all religious places. https://t.co/KqRDVHeMHq
— Rahul Pandita (@rahulpandita) April 17, 2017