In 'Bangla Blog' of Mukto Mona, an article was posted recently on Kabir Suman. I feel obliged to write a few paragraphs about him in this blog.
Anybody can change his religion. It is his personal matter. But Kabir Suman's assertive Muslimness after conversion to Islam has become possible as Hinduism does not have any concept of 'apostasy' and Hindu people around him in Kolkata are not sufficiently narrow minded to poke in to his personal religious affiliation and try to kill him for converting to Islam. Why a self and Islam boasting Muslim like Kabir Suman is not following Sunna with Hena coloured long beard, skull cap, pant above ankle joint and a full Arabic name like 'Something bin-something'?
Kabir Suman wrote in electronic medium "I became Kabir Suman from Suman Chattopadhyay when I converted to Islam. There were anti-Muslim sentiments everywhere and therefore by converting, I wanted to share their plight, their fate. The killing of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons by Hindu fundamentalists made me reach a thresh-hold. It might sound crazy to some but by changing my identity or rather, embracing a different religion, I wanted to send a signal."
The reason he gave for his conversion to Islam reflects his falsehood. It is not understood as to how his conversion to Islam has sent some signal and to whom? He was a Hindu Bengali married to a German lady. Suman converted to Islam to marry a Muslim singer of Bangladesh as his German wife refused to give divorce. Moreover, how the Muslim Bangladeshi lady would have married a Hindu Suman? Would Islam and Islamists in Bangladesh have permitted that? So that could be another reason for his conversion.
Kabir Suman must have visited Bangladesh many times before and after his marriage to the Bangladeshi lady. Had it ever occurred to him that in East Pakistan/Bangladesh, Hindus have all along been persecuted by Muslims? Why was he blind to that fact? Where was his compassion for people of other religion (he being a Muslim)? Where was his signal?
Though marriage is a personal matter, Kabir Suman's marriage with Bangladeshi lady was his sixth marriage. Kabir Suman is surely waiting for virgins in Islamic paradise.
Kabir Suman hails from West Bengal (India) where many Muslims (converted to Islam centuries back) use their Hindu surname even today. 'Mandal', 'Biswas' and 'Sardar' are frequently found such surnames. In Bangladesh also, I have come across Muslim with 'Banerjee' surname. Had Kabir Suman taken a name like Kamal Chattopadhyay or Karim Chattopadhyay or even Kabir Chattopadhyay after his conversion to Islam, it would have been natural. But he did not leave his first name 'Suman' for maintaining continuity of his singer identity. Kabir Suman told that he kept the name (Suman) given by his parents after conversion to Islam. But his parents were not Muslims and showing of attachment with kafir is not permitted in Islam.
Kabir Suman was and is famous for his 'Jibanmukhi' songs. I don't know if songs can be 'Moronmukhi' also. His peak period as a composer and singer was from 1992-96. He became an Indian Member of Parliament by winning election from Jadavpur constituency (a 99% Hindu majority area) during 2009 from Mamata Banerjee's TMC party. Mamata took him as a 'Muslim face' in her party for his popularity as a singer. Latter Mamata sent him to political oblivion when he wanted to outgrow her.
I tend to accept Taslima Nasreen's allegation against Kabir Suman that he had tried to instigate Muslims of Kolkata against Taslima for criticizing his beloved Prophet. Kabir Suman's remarks about Khagragarh (West Bengal) explosion and religion oriented other statements reveal his eagerness to be a Kath Mullah. He has to prove that he is more Muslim than other Muslims. Poor fraud Kabir Suman!