A 22-year-old Muslim girl from Karnataka has become the victim of trolling and bullying by fanatics on the social media for singing a Hindu devotional film song while auditioning for the Kannada edition of the hugely popular reality show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa.
The singing sensation Suhana Sayeed, who is an MBA graduate and hails from Sagara town in Shivamogga district, sang Shreekarane, a song from the movie Gaja in the praise of lord Balaji.
The young daughter of a schoolteacher was trolled by Muslim fanatics in a Facebook page called Mangalore Muslims, who slammed her for singing before men.
The post said, “Suhana you have tarnished the Muslim community by singing in front of men. Do not feel that you have achieved a great feat; people who learn to recite the Quran in six months have achieved more. Your parents have encouraged you to show your beauty to other men, they will not go to heaven because of you. Please give up the pardah that you are wearing as you don’t respect it.”
The incident, just a day before International Women’s Day, has shocked many across the nation and people are questioning the trolls and have come out in support of Suhana’s right to sing what she wants, how she wants and where she wants.
The judges and viewers of the show around the State lauded her for not only her melodious voice but also for showing people how music can be a unifying factor that transcends religious differences.
In fact, Kannada music director Arjun Janya said Suhana stood as a symbol of unity and had showed the world how all religions can remain in peace and harmony through music.
She also performed a folk song, getting positive feedback from judges for her choice of songs as well as singing, and made it to the next stage of the show.
After Suhana’s story and the troll post went viral, Mangalore Muslims seems to have responded with yet another post in Kannada, saying that their intention was not personal, and accused her of working on an agenda and trying to garner sympathy votes from the judges by singing a Hindu devotional song despite being a Muslim girl. They even accused her of betraying her community.
After many angry responses from the people across the State, Mangalore Muslims deleted its comments from the page.