Fatwa on Shah Rukh Khan?

Perhaps the infamous National Fatwa Council might be inclined to issue a fatwa on Shah Rukh Khan who is apparently due to be in the country in a matter of days to receive his Datukship.

Quite frankly, I’m surprised that organisations of such high integrity as JAKIM have not come out in strong opposition to Shah Rukh and launched a scathing attach on him for having arguably brought such disrepute to Islam; not to mention for having indulged in such practices as would undoubtedly, to put it mildly, irk and offend any of the self-righteous members of the National Fatwa Council. A while back, I had suggested that perhaps the Fatwa Council ought to issue an edict against indulgence in un-Islamic activities such as football and even prohibit men from participating in ‘feminine’ activities such as cooking. The fact that the Fatwa Council seems to have slipped up again by not acting on another ‘high profile’ opportunity with a fatwa on Shah Rukh Khan is all the more disappointing and puzzling. It’s actually deeply troubling to see that the Fatwa Council seems to have become somewhat lax in protecting the faith against such ‘deviant’ Muslims as Shah Rukh who have apparently become wayward and brought insult to the religion.

Well, in case you’re wondering what I’m talking about, let me explain.

For starters, I suspect the Fatwa Council members might know that Shah Rukh Khan is married to a Hindu, Gowri, and she has not converted to Islam. This is against Islam. Now you don’t suppose this would be troubling? Imagine the example he’s setting for other Muslims in Malaysia! And the Fatwa Council is going to sit by and let him be honoured with a Datukship? This would be all the more shocking if you also consider the other strikes against Shah Rukh. He repeatedly acts in Hindi movies in which his characters have Hindu names. Sure, acting is after all…acting! But imagine the corrupting influence this kind of glorification of his Hindu characters (and even Hinduism) can have on the minds and tendencies of Malaysia’s Muslims. Goodness gracious! He might even inspire impressionable Muslims to convert to Hinduism!

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As if the above wasn’t bad enough, Shah Rukh Khan also practices Hindu customs in the movies and also outside the movies. Surely, this can potentially corrupt the minds of the Muslims! It has been alleged that Shah Rukh Khan actually has a temple in his house where his wife and family pray daily. Yes, there is probably much more that would be seriously objectionable to the sensibilities of the National Fatwa Council, such as the fact that Shah Rukh Khan dances in Hindu festivals and Hindu prayers in movies and on stage. Well, and then there is the unthinkable: he has been known to engage in sexually suggestive, provocative, and racy and risque encounters with women in his movies. Yes, it's just the movies, but he's a married man! And do you think this is wholesome and healthy for our Muslim brothers and sisters to be exposed to such morally objectionable behaviour?

Are you thinking: haram? Well, that thought did cross my mind too! You don’t suppose our National Fatwa Council is simply plain ignorant about these things and hence is silent of the matter of bestowing Shah Rukh with a Datukship? Again, their ignorance about other matters never stopped them before!

Actually, I think these problems go much beyond just Shah Rukh. If the National Fatwa Council really did its job and acted with the same sensibilities (or lack thereof) it has exhibited of late, it would find other Muslim Bollywood stars also guilty of offending Islam. Salman Khan, if he were to set foot in Malaysia, ought to be arrested. Salman Khan’s family – whose mother is a Hindu and has not converted to Islam - have a temple in their house, and they’re known to hold daily Hindu prayers. Salman also acts as a Hindu, dances to Hindu religious songs, and prays in temples. While my knowledge of Bollywood really isn’t as good compared to many of our fellow Muslim admirers of Shah Rukh and Salman, I suspect there’re others too - who have a strong following in Malaysia - like Fardeen Khan and Aamir Khan, who, if our morality Gestapo were to look into it, might have questionable credentials as Muslims.

Perhaps the JAKIM/The Fatwa Council might need some inspiration as follow up on the heels of their recent farcical display and indulge in some more of their ludicrousness by putting a stop to honouring characters such as Shah Rukh Khan who seemingly displays all sorts of disregard for Islam. I’m shocked that these batik Talibanists in JAKIM/Fatwa Council seem uninterested and not offended that Malaysia is blundering in such a grand scale by honouring an unworthy and ‘deviant’ Muslim who has done so much to promote Hindu values and corrupted the innocent minds of Muslims of Malaysia.

Surely, the sanctimonious and conceited members of the Fatwa Council don’t have to be experts on Bollywood to pass aspersions about members of that community. After all, their utter ignorance never stopped them to pass aspersions about yoga or about lesbian lifestyles.

G. Krishnan