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Many rap songs by exiled Iranians would be politically and morally offensive to authorities isn the Islamic Republic, where little home-grown pop music is allowed. But Najafi’s constant refrain of “O Naqi” has drawn more ire than usual.

“A (website) founder who lives in one of the Gulf Arab states has promised to pay the ($100,000) bounty on behalf of Shia-Online.ir to the killer of this abusive singer,” the site said in a posting.

In echoes of the 1989 fatwa – religious ruling – ordering the death of British author Salman Rushdie for his novel “The Satanic Verses”, which was deemed blasphemous – a senior cleric in Iran said Najafi’s rap might merit a death sentence.

Asked by his followers about the song, Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi said in a ruling: “Any outrage against the infallible imams … and obvious insult against them would make a Muslim an apostate,” Iran’s Fars news agency reported.

Apostasy carries a death sentence under Islamic laws which are applied in predominantly Shi’ite Iran.

Speaking to German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, Najafi said: “I thought there would be some ramifications. But I didn’t think I would upset the regime that much. Now they are taking advantage of the situation and making it look like I was trying to criticize religion and put down believers.

“For me it is more of an excuse to talk about completely different things. I also criticize Iranian society in the song. It seems as though people are just concentrating on the word ‘imam’.”

Najafi, in his early 30s, was active in Iran’s underground music scene before he left the country in 2005.

Iranian officials have not yet commented on Najafi’s song and Iran’s media have not widely reported the bounty put on his head by the Shi’ite website.

Najafi said he had taken some “precautionary measures” because “some of the supporters of the regime want to create an atmosphere of fear and intimidation”.