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Akon recently came under fire for defending Kanye West’s comments on Jews. The singer appeared on Sky News' Breakfast show and discussed West’s anti-Semitic controversy, Twitter ban, and his continued support for the rapper.
When host Anna Jones asked the singer the reason behind his support for Ye, he said he prefers to show support towards other people’s opinion:
“I show support for opinion and I think people will always have a specific opinion and I think the moment we get to the place where we close our minds up to other people's opinion, it kind of doesn't allow us to get to better know each other, better know our mindsets and more than anything better know our movements.”
Akon suggested that people should open their minds to better understand certain situations instead of pre-judging others:
“I think sometimes we kind pre-judge people from the way we may see or view things and I think sometimes we should open up our minds and let things play all the way out and better understand the situation.”
He also added that he would continue to back Kanye as he is “a backer of the right to believe what you want to believe.” He also mentioned that he would like to share why he “disagrees” with the rapper and hopes that he gets to have a conversation with the latter.
The singer added that “conversation and communication is always the key.” When Jones asked the Senegalese-American musician if he ever found Kanye West’s comments troubling, the former said that he did not as the remarks did not affect him on a personal level:
“Not really because those comments don't really affect me personally... and if it does affect you personally then find a way to actually respond in a way to where that conversation can be reciprocated.”
The record producer also condemned the practice of lashing out against someone with negativity and said:
“I feel like when someone is offended they just lash out in defense or lash out to kind of make that person feel the same offense that they felt… when you take negative and you kind of apply or response negatively you can only get negative back.”
Akon concluded his statement by suggesting that people should not take things “too personally” until they understand the situation. As the singer’s remarks surfaced online, he was immediately met with criticism for defending Kanye and the latter’s anti-Semitic behavior.
Twitter reacts to Akon’s remarks on Kanye West’s controversy
Kanye West has continued to make headlines off late due to a string of controversies, mainly over his consistent anti-Semitic tirade on social media.
More recently, he sparked major outrage online after praising Nazis and Adolf Hitler during an appearance on Alex Jones' InfoWars. Shortly after, his Twitter account was suspended for posting an image of the Swastika symbol within the Star of David.
In the wake of West’s suspension, singer Akon landed in hot waters for defending the former’s “personal opinion” during an interview. Several social media users also took to Twitter to call out the music artist:
As reactions continue to pour in online, it remains to be seen if Akon will respond to the criticism in the days to come. Meanwhile, it remains unknown if Kanye West’s Twitter account has been permanently banned or will be unlocked in the future.
