Cleric slams Indian Idol fame Farmani Naaz for 'Shambhu Mahadeva' song

"An artist has no religion. God has gifted me a beautiful voice so it's my responsibility to make people smile by singing all types of songs," Farmani Naaz said to the media.

Muzaffarnagar/Saharanpur: YouTube singer Farmani Naaz who also participated in the reality show Indian Idol, a few years ago, has been criticized by a Deoband-based Muslim cleric(Ulema) over a Muslim girl rendering a song "Har Har Shambhu" praising Hindu gods.

The devotional track was uploaded by Farmani on her YouTube channel during the month of Shravan. Though she received appreciation for the song, a section of Islamic fundamentalists, have alleged that it hurts the sentiments of Muslims. Cleric Mufti Asad Qasmi said, "singing or dancing is haram in Islam." Singing is forbidden in Islam. It's considered haraam. This woman should apologize to Allah," said Mufti Asad Qasmi.

Following the criticism, Farmani requested everyone to take a break and said, "An artist has no religion. God has gifted me a beautiful voice so it's my responsibility to make people smile by singing all types of songs," she said.

Farmani hails from Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. She rose to fame after participating in the 12th season of Indian Idol. She makes a living from her singing career after her husband left her following the birth of their son. She is quite popular on YouTube, boasting over 3.84 million subscribers.