Nigerian singer Qudus Oluwadamilare, popularly known as Q-Dot, has addressed rumours circulating online that he renounced Islam, issuing a public apology to both Christians, Muslims, and other religious groups over alleged blasphemous lines in his songs, while affirming his Islamic faith.
The singer made the clarification in an emotional video he posted on his verified Facebook page on Tuesday, where he said his earlier comments about religion had been misunderstood and taken out of context.
Responding to the controversy surrounding claims about his faith and past remarks, he said: “Hi guys, my name is Q-Dot. I’m making this video to apologise to all Muslims all over the world, my fans, my friends, my family that are Muslims. I want you guys to forgive me if I’ve said anything, you know, to bring reproach to Islam. They said I’m not practising Islam again, I want you guys to go back to the video, try and listen to what I said.
“They asked if I’m a Muslim, and I’m trying to say to them that I don’t know much about this religion, I’m seeking knowledge on it. And they twisted my words. There’s nothing I can say than for you to forgive me, don’t be offended if I said anything wrong. If I say I’m no longer practising Islam, what if I want to do prayers for my grandmother, is it Christians that I will call to come pray for my godmother? It’s the Muslims I’ll call. I just want you guys to forgive me if I’ve said anything that is wrong. And to the Christian community, please forgive me if I had said anything that is wrong about Jesus Christ.
“And to my fans who think this apology is not needed, please don’t be offended. I’m a Yoruba boy, I want more friends and not enemies. The curse I heard during a live video really touched me, and it touched my emotions, which is wrong. And I’ve learnt another lesson to always control my emotions in this life. So, if you heard me use wrong words, forgive me. All my Muslim fans, Christian community and the traditionalists, please forgive me. And I promise you guys I will never involve myself in this kind of religious content, because it’s causing a lot of problems in Nigeria at the moment. But we need to look for a way to sort it out. So, don’t be angry,” QDot said.
Q-Dot also addressed concerns surrounding his recent song ‘Signal’ urging fans not to attach religious interpretations to the track or use it to fuel division.
“A lot of people stream this song, be you Christians, be you Muslim, so I don’t want to create hatred. You guys are my people. And to the Fulani that are part of us in this country, I’m talking about the good ones, the ones that don’t have intention of killing people or doing bad things. If you feel like my new song also made you feel somehow, please forgive me. I just want peace. We have to control ourselves these days. The internet is doing a lot, we have to be careful,” he added.
