‘RM apologise to Muslims’ trends on Twitter after BTS star shares Frank Ocean’s ‘Bad religion’

• An analysis of over 400,000 BTS fans revealed Indonesia as the second-largest fan base and the Middle East with 230,000 fans across 140 clubs.
• Despite his substantial Muslim fan base, RM of BTS has shared an Instagram story featuring the song “Bad Religion,” raising concerns of Islamophobia in his choice of music.

BTS’ RM, also known as Kim Namjoon, stirred conversation after sharing Frank Ocean’s song ‘Bad Religion’ on his Instagram story. The hashtag “RM APOLOGISE TO MUSLIMS” rapidly gained traction, sparking a cascade of viewpoints sharing their disappointment from fans and followers.

Detractors voiced apprehensions about the song selection, alleging RM of displaying Islamophobia in light of the song’s lyrical connotations. One tweet highlighted, “BTS’ RM shared an Islamophobic song on his IG story and I’m talking about me and all Muslims that this is shameful bcs he’s a @/UNICEF ambassador who is supposed to fight racism not to support and what is happening now is he insulting Islam openly?”

Another Twitter user responded:

Ocean’s track “Bad Religion,” unveiled in 2012, became notable for aligning with the LGBTQ movement while concurrently portraying Islam as an obstructive force.

The lyrics of the song include the following:

“He said “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”

Global K-Pop sensation BTS (image via Twitter)

K-pop has maintained an enduring allure and garnered immense global popularity in recent times. As indicated by a Korean media source, a sociological inquiry encompassing more than 400,000 BTS enthusiasts was conducted between July and September 2020. The findings were unveiled in March 2021, revealing that Indonesia, the largest Muslim-majority nation, possessed the second-largest fan base. Moreover, the Middle East boasted a notable aggregate of 230,000 devotees spread across 140 clubs.

However, it is important to note that within mainstream Orthodox Sunni Islam, the categorisation of music is deemed impermissible (haram). This ruling finds its substantiation in the following Hadith:

The Prophet Mohammed (saw) was reported to have said:

 “From among my followers there will be some people who will consider as permissible illegal sexual intercourse, the wearing of silk, the drinking of alcoholic drinks, and the use of musical instruments.”

(Sahih al-Bukhari 5590)

As Muslims, we believe that the laws stipulated by Allah, found in the Qur’an and ahadith, exist to safeguard and enhance our well-being. This principle underscores the importance of our adherence to these laws.

Curiously, findings presented in the Journal of Youth Studies, 2016 lend additional credence to the detrimental impact of music. It examined the relationship between music consumption and mental health among adolescents. The study revealed that specific musical genres, notably heavy metal and and hip-hip, exhibited a positive correlation with heightened levels of both depression and anxiety.

This incident stands as a conspicuous reminder for Muslim music enthusiasts to abstain from partaking in such detrimental indulgences. While we are well aware that music is deemed haram, it is evident that numerous Muslim adolescents who admire music icons often find themselves idolising individuals such as RM and engaging in shirk (which is a major sin). Furthermore, as we have observed, many Muslim teenagers, often unknowingly, are idolising individuals who harbour staunch Islamophobic sentiments and are promoting agendas such as Feminism, Liberalism and LGBTQ.