BTS leader RM under fire for sharing the controversial “Islamophobic” ‘Bad Religion’ song

Seoul: BTS leader RM aka Kim Namjoon is known for sharing music on Instagram stories by other artists. On August 16, RM shared the controversial song by Frank Ocean titled ‘Bad Religion’. The song has been considered controversial since the first time it was released. The Muslim community has raised concerns about the lyrics of the songs, which are considered Islamophobic.

‘Bad Religion’ is said to be a song about love but several lines from the chorus ignited debate. For example, a part of the lyrics read, “And you say ‘Allahu Akbar’ / I told him, ‘Don’t curse me’ / ‘Bo Bo, you need prayer’/ I guess it couldn’t hurt me /If it brings me to my knees, it’s a bad religion”.

Allahu Akbar is an Arabic phrase often used in Islam, which means “God is greatest.” Although many argue that Frank has clarified his definition of ‘bad religion’ with the outdo of the song which states, “ It’s a, it’s a bad religion/To be in love with someone/ Who could never love you/Oh, oh, oh, only bad, only bad religion/Could have me feeling the way I do.” If one can decipher the lyrics, it seems Frank is comparing unrequited love to ‘bad religion,’ however some section of the fans remain divided.