Javed Akhtar sparks controversy after questioning why God did not save Gaza's Children
During a debate on “Does God Exist?”, renowned lyricist Javed Akhtar questioned the existence of God by asking, “If he is really omnipotent, then why are children in Gaza suffering?”
A self-proclaimed atheist, Akhtar sparked widespread outrage in the Muslim community after he implied that God was watching the atrocities play out in Gaza, where over 35,000 children under the age of ten have perished, and several remain hungry in worsening condition since the Israeli military action began after October 7, 2023.
“If you really are omnipotent, omnipresent, then you must be present in Gaza as well, you must have seen the children’s condition, and you still want me to believe in you?” he asked.
He posed the question to Islamic scholar Mufti Shamail Nadwi during an academic dialogue. The debate, moderated by journalist and founding editor of The Lallantop Show, Saurabh Dwivedi, was a two-hour discussion on beliefs, reason, and evidence surrounding the will to believe in a divine presence.
Mufti Shamail had earlier said during the debate, “If you do not know, then do not claim that God does not exist.”
In response, Akhtar said that no philosopher or scientist alleges to know everything, and that humans should accept their ignorance instead of making absolute claims.
They also butted heads while discussing whether a decision becomes right when the majority supports it. A deep and oftentimes controversial debate, it touched on all topics to answer the question of the existence of God.
This post was last modified on December 20, 2025 10:07 pm