Reacting to the recent fatwa issued by a Mumbai-based Muslim group for composing music for Iranian film titled 'Muhammad
"My decision to compose music for this film was made in good faith and with no intention of causing offence," he stated.
"I didn't direct or produce the movie "Muhammad (PBUH), Messenger of God. I just did the music," he added.
"I am not a scholar of Islam. I follow the middle path and am part traditionalist and part rationalist," he further said.
A Mumbai-based Sunni Muslim group recently issued a fatwa against Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi (of Children Of Heaven fame) and Rahman for the film.
The film's music is composed by Rahman and is first of the trilogy on the life of Prophet Mohammad. The group also wrote to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh seeking a ban on the movie.
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"A.R. Rehman must apologize for his mistakes. I want to request the government to ban the movie completely in India and especially in Maharashtra, as it will hurt the sentiments of Muslims," Mufti Mohammed Manzur Ziyaee of Raza Academy had said earlier.
Maulana Amanullah Razvi, also from the Raza academy said that they are against the title of the movie as it insults Prophet Muhammad.
"We are against the title. People may use it in a bad manner if they don't like the film, which means an insult to the Prophet. The actors have charged money to act in the film and they may have dubious character in real life. They must apologise," said Razvi.
"We have been given instructions by the Muslim community to completely boycott the movie. The film should be released after removing the objectionable matters," Razvi added.
Muslim clerics have asked for a ban on the film, saying that if the movie was released then it would lead to riots.