Published 00:00 IST, February 29th 2020
Adnan Sami opens up on CAA; says, 'Being Muslim if I chose India shows how secure I am'
Adnan Sami said being a Muslim if he chose India showed how secured he felt. He said CAA was only to fast-track citizenship of minorities of nearby countries.
The clashes over the Citizenship Amendment Act have taken an ugly turn across the country, with Delhi witnessing numerous casualties. Adnan Sami has been among those who have backed the law, often shutting down trolls, especially the Pakistani ones, while explaining the details of the act to them. The singer once again backed the act, asserting that CAA was only an act to fast-track persecuted minorities of countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.
The Bheegi Bheegi Raaton Mein star also stated that he felt secure in India as a Muslim, while reacting to Aamir Khan’s infamous ‘unsafe in India’ comment a few years ago.
Adnan reacts to Amir Khan's infamous statement
Adnan Sami was speaking at the India Ideas Conclave 2020 on Friday, where he was asked about Aamir’s comment years ago that he and his wife felt unsafe in India, sparking the ‘intolerance’ debate after which even protests were held against him then.
The singer responded, “I’m not here to answer what Aamir has to say. That is his prerogative, his opinion and how am I to have an opinion on something that he feels.”
“You must ask him, I’m not here to answer his issues in life. God knows, I’ve got my own issues to deal with,” Sami said.
The 48-year-old, however, said, “I’m a Muslim, I respect all religions. I celebrate all religions, above all, I celebrate humanity in whichever form it comes and secondly.”
“I’m very secure of who I am. I made no apologies when I was 230 kilos. I had so many options, but if I felt I wanted to come to India, being a Muslim, doesn’t that say something about how secured I feel?” Sami continued.
Adnan, who was a Pakistani citizen, received Indian citizenship in 2016.
Answering the second part of the question, the music composer said, “As far as CAA is concerned, I’m not a politician, I’m a musician, my basic understanding of CAA is that it is an act that has been brought about to support the persecuted minorities in theocratic countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, to fast-track their citizenship to a much-shorter period so that they can come under a certain secured environment in India."
"Whereas that does not mean a Muslim cannot get citizenship, any person from any religion is able to acquire citizenship, as per the 1950s Citizenship Act, but the period in that is approximately 11 years. I got it through the act and tomorrow if somebody wants to get it, they can still get it,” he said.
Updated 00:00 IST, February 29th 2020