Kashmir girl band quits after fatwa
Pragaash had been the target of an online hate campaign ever since winning a “Battle of the Bands” contest in December. — Photo courtesy: http://weaselzippers.us/
SRINAGAR: An all-girl teenage rock band from Indian-administered Kashmir has decided to split after the region’s top Muslim cleric declared their music to be “un-Islamic”, their manager said Tuesday.
Pragaash, a three-piece group whose members are still in high school, had been the target of an online hate campaign ever since winning a “Battle of the Bands” contest in December.
But after initially insisting they would continue making music, they have now called it quits after the Grand Mufti of Jammu and Kashmir, Bashiruddin Ahmad, branded them as “indecent” and issued a fatwa calling for them to disband.
“After the fatwa the girls decided to quit and disband,” Adnan Mattoo, the band’s manager, said in brief comments to AFP.
The mother of one of the girls confirmed that her daughter had decided to leave the band, saying she was staying with relatives outside Kashmir until the fuss died down.
“My daughter had been depressed and irritable so we decided to send her away to another city for some time,” said the mother, who did not want to give her name.
The comments by the grand mufti have been widely criticised with the state’s Chief Minister Omar Abdullah among those calling on the band not to be intimidated into giving up on music.
Kashmir is India’s only Muslim-majority state and hardline Islamists have a reputation for trying to impose Islamic law, forcing the closure of cinemas and liquor stores with the onset of an anti-India insurgency in 1990.
Is music is un-islamic or ‘girls’ playing music in Un-Islamic..???
Girls are threatened –> Parents tell them to quit (just like any concerned parent) –> Girls quit –> Plain and simple; no big deal, nobody knows.
Enter mufti and his fatwa to make a family matter news-worthy … motive –> malign Islam.
Ppppppppppplease!
Who does the threatening, though?
It is really shameful what has happened. I hope that there are enough sane minds to stand up against these bigoted people. Music has always been an integral part of Kashmir culture, and I dont know why Saudi Arab culture is being imposed in the valley.
What ulema did is Islamic. Accept islam as its ! Don’t change it according to your desire.
If there can be an all girl band in Iran then why we can not have an all girl band from Kashmir. The all girl iranian band is performing all major muslim countries but nobody objects them. This is ridiculous. They don’t stop Atik or Rahat but they stop girls. Are these Mullas really men with brains?
they are hypocrites at their best.. they will let muslim men sing and dance and merry around.. but if a muslim women starts to exercise her rights they try to shun them out on religious grounds… pathetic.
All these girls were doing, was giving the troubled area some entertainment so that people can laugh and smile for a while. Nothing wrong with that.
Muslims are majority in one state of India and see what they do… People should realize and stop them in other states before they force their Islamic views on others in other states of India. India is better off Muslims to preserve its democratic values. We here in Pakistan are bearing the Islamic attrocities from long time.
They probably stopped for safety reasons. Women in India are repressed so much, first Delhi rape now this..
An ideology has been saved, the innocent girls have been crucified for the ideology. Don’t know if the future of these girls has become bright by this action?
People listen, this is the real Islam.
This criminal Grand Mufti should be arrested, tried for crimes against human rights and liberty, and sentenced to life in prison. These young girls should continue with their band and they should be provided security by India. Any mullah who issues a fatwa against these very talented girls should be prosecuted as a criminal and sentenced accordingly.
I wonder if Hazrazt Daud was still alive, will the same mullah’s issue a fatwa against him??
Can we ask if the hijabi one was the first to call the quits?
For a Maulvi who uses musical ‘Qirraat’ and gives the melodious ‘Azaan’ — singing is Haram? — what a hypocrite.
So I am gonna make a comment here that is controversial: Religion is too each person as they want to experience it. Allah made Islam an easy religious to follow. Your takwa is what differentiate you from others. At the same time you have no right to force your brand of religion on other people. Tolerance and forgiveness and acceptance are all favored heavily in Islam
All this being said: YOU MUST FOLLOW FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM and ask for forgiveness.
you are just being political my friend.. stay on a side, don’t try to be on two boats at one time.
They wish they were in London.
You gave up so easily under pressure,you could be symbol or voice for muslim women who has been ignored in this modern world.learn from Malalay who took bullet in head still her voice is strong.
Being live is more important.
Not everyone can take a bullet in his/her head. It’s easier to say but would you stand in front of the firing squad for your conviction?
Brothers/ Sisters please don’t blame Islam in this. Islam gave a lot to the world and Pakistan if you think of about it.
And some of the comments below, made me lose hope in humanity once again.
Just look at the photo of these girls.
How is that indecent in any way.
They are mere girls and trying to make her own identity in this men world. This is their biggest crime
Criticize but get it right first .. The band quit after receiving death threats on their Facebook page. The girls’ parents did what any other parents would do in such a situation, i.e., play it safe. It was no big deal until somebody decided to ‘scandalize’ it to make it a big news by adding the words “mufti, fatwa and of course Islam”. Don’t forget that this has taken place in India and they have laws to deal with the law-breakers.
Come on girls – all you should do is bear kids and cook food – Grand Mufti has spoken. The Mufti speaks like true Talibani – no wonder Kashmiris want to move towards west rather than stay with India. They love fatwas than music.
How can any godfearing/ulemafearing/fatwafearing muslimas even think of coming out of burkhas leave along draw attention towards them by singing, playing music etc., do they not know that the men are just programmed to defile their honor as soon as they see so much as an inch of their body ?
More over if their music is not to win more converts ( or is it reverts) to Islam, there is no use. Every action should be towards this ultimate goal of winning more converts among the disbelievers and keep driving the believers to one straight and narrow path as defined by ( who ?) their mullah.
I am assuming this is sarcasm, but not entirely sure
..What about so many Muslim male singers & dancers in INDIAN film field..what about so many Muslim singers & actors from Pakistan who works in INDIA..Can these clerics stop them..why only these girls are banned,only because they are helpless..they can be forced in the name of honour..Kashmir will become nxt afghanistan, if these incidents not stopped..