Social media is abuzz with users proposing the possible rules of ‘Shakira Law.’
The Twitter trend started in response to a trolling tweet, in which a British man sounded off on Muslims by saying they should leave the country and take their ‘Shakira Law’ with them.
His humorous misspelling has earned thousands of responses from people all over the world, who have proclaimed to love the idea of being ruled by laws implemented by the Colombian pop star.
Pop culture politics: Twitter users are proposing rules for Shakira Law
Setting up the joke: The jokes came after this tweet from a trolling parody account that says Muslims who want ‘Shakira Law’ should go back to India, a majority Hindi country
The original tweet as shared earlier this week by a man who goes by Barry Stanton on Twitter.
‘If all these muslims want there shakira law in this country why dont they f*** off back to india [sic],’ he wrote.
Though Barry’s seems to be a parody account (in another tweet he complains about ‘migraines,’ rather than ‘migrants,’ coming into the country), the widely-shared tweet did earn some confusion from those who took it as face value.
Some people took the bait, and either agreed that Muslims should leave or decried Barry for being racist — and also ignorant, telling Muslims to go to India, which is about 80 per cent Hindu.
Others expressed disbelief that Barry used the term ‘Shakira Law’ instead of ‘Sharia Law’. Though in this case the mistake appears to be conscious (and part of the joke), the misspelling is actually used unintentionally by others on social media.
Yes, please! Thousands chimed in to say they very much like the idea of Shakira Law
Upgrade? Many saw the appeal in the Colombian pop singer taking over their countries
So be wise and keep on reading the signs of my body! This woman made fun of the original tweet by quoting Shakira’s 2005 single Hips Don’t Lie
Most people, though, found the misused word hilarious. Thousands have said that they love the idea of Shakira Law, which would presumably be based on 40-year-old singer.
More chimed in to speculate what the rules of Shakira Law would be, frequently referencing the star’s first and most famous English single, Hips Don’t Lie.
‘Ah yes, Shakira law, where it is forbidden for one’s hips to lie,’ wrote one woman. ‘Is lying hips a stoneable offense?’ asked another.
‘If we don’t implement Shakira law how are we going to stop people’s hips from lying?’ asked a third
Startin’ to feel it’s right: The most common joke was that hips are forbidden to lie under Shakira Law
Approved: Puns using song quotes earned hundreds and thousands of likes each
She’s on tonight: This woman joked that lying hips might be a stoneable offense under Shakira Law
This is perfection: Some got really involved in their explanations
Brilliant: This person came up the ‘5 Pillars of Shakira Law’, modeled off the Five Pillars of Islam
‘The only thing in the Quran about shakira law is “thou, hips shall not lie,”‘ joked another. ‘Surat al-hips 66:44. It means that a Muslim must not force him/herself to dance or dance in a certain way. You must let the music take control of your body naturally. That’s it. Nothing to be scared of.’
‘Is Shakira Law the law that makes men want to speak Spanish?’ yet another asked, calling out a Wyclef John line from the song.
‘As an Indian-American, I can confirm what Barry is saying,’ said another. ‘First, Shakira Law snuck into my parents’ dishonest hips before they immigrated here. Now, it’s expanded to Whenever, Wherever.’
Quite a few cracked jokes about the song Whenever, Wherever, too, like one who said Shakira Law was good because ‘you can pray whenever, wherever.’
Featuring: Wyclef Jean might want to be consulted on these rules
Meant to be together: Others turned to her single Whenever, Wherever for jokes
The deal my dear: In the song, she sings, ‘Lucky that my breasts are small and humble So you don’t confuse them with mountains’
It’s brutal: Some people jokingly spoke from experience with Shakira Law
Inspo: A few lesser singles were referenced, too, like 2009’s She Wolf
‘Under shakira law confusing breasts w/mountains is punishable by death,’ one more wrote.
‘Shakira Law, 69 U.S.C. § 2009 (a)-(c): “It shall be unlawful for any She Wolf to remain in your closet; let it out so it can breathe,”‘ wrote a fan who favored the single She Wolf.
One particularly creative student from Toronto came up with a comprehensive list, citing the five pillars of Shakira Law (modeled off the Five Pillars of Islam).
He wrote: ‘5 Pillars of Shakira Law: 1) hips cannot lie, 2) you must praise Shakira whenever, wherever, 3) sexy shimmying to be taught in all schools, 4) all must make pilgrimage to Colombia, 5) you cant remember to forget the above 4 rules.’
Relax, sweetheart: This man wanted the troll not to worry, condescendingly telling him that Muslims have no intention of making him dance
Ha! This Muslim man said he preferred Beyoncé law or Rihanna law (the former of which likely requires men to put a ring on it, and the latter of which may demand the sharing of umbrellas)
Others strayed away from puns.
‘Shakira law? I promise you, no one will force you to dance habibi,’ wrote one man, condescendingly using the Arabic nickname meaning ‘my love’ or ‘my dear’.
‘For me, as a Muslim, I’ve always thought Beyoncé law or Rihanna law would be much better and far more encompassing than Shakira law,’ said yet another.
Though the troll account’s original tweet about Shakira Law is one of its most widely shared, a few others have found popularity.
In one, he disputed the idea that he could possible be ‘racist’ because he ‘let a Scottish bloke fix my fridge’. He also criticized Halal food, saying he only eats ‘proper British food’ like ‘bangers and mash, toad in the hole, and yorkies and chinese [sic]’.