India: Islamic Cleric Rules Against Naming Babies After Popular Movie Stars

An Islamic cleric in India on the eve of Eid issued a Fatwa (a ruling) against naming children after famous Bollywood stars such as Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan.

Some of the best and most sought after stars in Bollywood are Muslims and many of their films are released on Hindu and Muslim festivals.

According to Qari Shafiq-ur-Rehman, a cleric who belongs to Meerut city of Uttar Pradesh State in India, these actors see Muslim festivals as an opportunity to mint money out of their films and do not contribute to their community.

The cleric has appealed to the Muslim community to boycott the names of such actors who, according to him, take advantage of the festive season and do not act as role models or ideals for the community.

"The name of a person makes an impact on his personality and thinking. Therefore, I advise parents to choose their child's name for its meaning," Rehman told Times of India in a telephonic interview.

"They thrive on the feelings and emotions of the people," he added.

The fatwa by Rehman comes after actor Shah Rukh Khan's Chennai Express, starring actress Deepika Padukone was released on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr on Friday.

Shah Rukh Khan's Veer Zaara, co-starred by actress Preity Zinta, was also released on the eve of Eid weekend in 2004.

However, another cleric Maulana Khalid Rasheed from Lucknow city of the same state did not agree with Rehman's statements and said that generalising a name was not a wise thing to do.

"It is true that name makes an impact on a person but it cannot be a thumb rule. If someone called Ram (Hindu god) commits a crime, it doesn't mean the importance of Ram would decrease for his followers," he said.