Music maestro AR Rahman recently opened up about a longstanding controversy surrounding his daughter, Khatija Rahman’s choice to wear a hijab. The award-winning musician broke his silence on the backlash he received over the years for allegedly forcing his daughter to cover herself under the veil. Addressing these assumptions, Rahman clarified his side with his signature composure.
AR Rahman opens up on the hijab controversy
Speaking to Nayandeep Rakshit on his podcast, Rahman revisited the incident when a simple family photo featuring Khatija wearing a burqa at an event attracted significant online backlash. The controversy dates back to a photo a few years back, where Khatija was seen wearing a burqa and hijab. The rest of the family, including Rahman’s wife, Saira Banu and their other daughter, Raheema, did not have any naqab on. This led many to believe that Rahman forced Khatija to wear hijab, even labelling him a “hypocrite” for imposing the outfit on her. Addressing the backlash, Rahman said:
“The choice of living a public life is intentional; from a rich man to God himself, everyone gets reviewed. As long as we stay together and we are not conceited and we are not toxic to even the people saying stuff.”