Srinagar: The teacher of the all-girl rock band against whom a ‘fatwa’ was issued said here yesterday that the girls have stopped performing even as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah promised a police investigation into the threats.
Adnan Muhammad Mattoo, who trained the three Class 10 girls before they formed the valley’s first girls’ rock band, told IANS: “Since the grand mufti, whom we treat as part of the government, says they must not play music, the three girls have decided to quit.”
“I formed the valley’s first rock band, Blood Rock, seven years ago. I now feel seven years of my life have been wasted. I have also decided to quit and give up my pursuit of rock music,”
Mattoo said.
He added that there are nearly 40 rock bands in the state. “Their future is also in doldrums now,” he said.
After receiving threats on social media, family members of the three girls who formed the Pragaash band said they had told their wards not to continue
with it. Bashir-ud-din Ahmed, head of the Muslim clergy in Kashmir, issued a ‘fatwa’ (religious decree) on Sunday asking the parents of the three girls to impart religious education to their daughters and labelled the girls’ performance as “a shameful act”.
The chief minister had hoped on his micro-blogging Twitter site that the three talented girls would not give up under threats from “a handful of morons”.
Abdullah also said he would have the threats against the girls investigated. Mehbooba Mufti, president of opposition People’s Democratic Party, said here yesterday that Kashmiri women singers like Raj Begum, Kailash Mehra and Shamima Azad had been widely appreciated and encouraged. IANS
