Rahman has spent decades creating music that transcends religious and cultural boundaries. one of the most remarkable things about Rahman is that he has never confined himself to a single musical tradition. His work draws from Carnatic and Hindustani music, Sufi traditions, Western classical music, electronic music, and folk traditions. What particularly bothers me about this kind of debate is the possibility that we stop discussing artistic merit and start imposing religious boundaries on who is allowed to tell our cultural stories. sad