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Fatwas don’t scare teenage idol Afrin

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Nahid Afrin

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]16-year-old singer ready to face the music, Twitter stands with her

By Sucheta Dasgupta

India’s progressives are standing up for what they believe in. And this time, a youngster is leading the way.

This week, as many as 46 Muslim clerics ganged up on teenager and reality TV singing star Nahid Afrin, asking her to stop performing in public in view of a show slated for March 25 which was to be held in Udali Sonai Bibi College in Lanka, Assam. The venue is incidentally in the vicinity of a mosque and graveyard and a leaflet, written in Assamese, states that musical nights are “anti-Sharia”.

However, the spunky girl has refused to bow to pressures and has declared her intention to continue with her musical career.

The Class X student, who lives in Biswanath Chariali, a town in northern Assam, has been quoted in the media as saying, “I am speechless. I think my music is God’s gift to me. I will never bow down to it (such rulings) and never leave singing.” Understandably, though, she had broken down in tears on hearing news of the “fatwa” (at least, she was told that it was one, before Scroll later reported that it was just an open letter).

Afrin, who has many fans in her state for her beautiful renditions of the verses composed by the Vaishnavite saint Srimanta Sankardeva, was first runner-up in the musical reality TV show, Indian Idol Junior. She made her Bollywood debut in 2016, becoming the voice of Sonakshi Sinha in the film, Akira.

Many, including The Times Of India, believe Afrin incurred the wrath of the clerics by singing against Islamic State terrorism.

Afrin’s stance drew support from Muslim intelligentsia on Twitter.

“Nahid Afrin is a brave girl. All of us should raise our voice in her support! Down with Fatwa-espousing irrelevant Radicals,” BJP leader Shazia Ilmi tweeted. The writer and feminist, Taslima Nasreen, too, stood by her. “After getting fatwa from 46 mullahs in Assam, 16-yr-old Nahid Afrin said she’ll never bow down and will never leave singing. Bravo girl!” she wrote.

Perhaps, their vocal support caused the following semi-retraction. 

“Even though Shariat does not allow singing and dancing, the ulema should think their approach towards the issue. If someone is doing something that is against the shariat, declaring fatwas only complicate the issue and lead to misunderstanding,” cleric Umer Ilyasi said.

And now, Scroll reports that the purported fatwa is, in fact, just an open letter signed by 46 office bearers of the Assam State Jamiat Ulama and teachers from various madrassas around the state. The secretary of the Assam State Jamiat Ulama, Maulvi Fazlul Karim Qasimi, was quoted by the website as saying that no fatwa has been issued in this case. 

NDTV, too, apologised for reporting the unverified news.

Notably, Afrin’s stand is a departure from that of actor and Dangal star Zaira Wasim, also 16, who apologised on Twitter and Facebook for essaying the role of Indian wrestling icon Geeta Phogat in the movie, and for ‘acting’ ‘in Bollywood’, in face of opposition from Kashmiri separatists and Islamic fundamentalists, this January.

Afrin’s mother is also backing her daughter’s decision. “The organisers of the musical night told us that the programme on March 25 will not be cancelled,” she told the media. The state CM has expressed his government’s support for her career and police said Nahid and her family would be provided security cover during the event, and that’s good to hear.

So let’s contemplate a slightly different question. A Twitter user has written, “#Padmavati and #NahidAfrin cases prove that no matter which religion it is, India is not a country for artists. #RIPIndianArt.” Thoughts, anyone?[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

2024 Lok Sabha Elections

Farooq Abdullah accuses PM Modi of trying to divide the country over religion

Faroukh Abdullah reacted to PM Modi’s remark that the Congress will redistribute people’s money and property to Muslims if voted to power and said Muslims respect all religions. He said that they are Muslims and Allah has told them to respect other religions. He further added that a Muslim cannot snatch anyone’s right.

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Farooq Abdullah, Jammu and Kashmir’s National Conference President said on Wednesday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was trying to divide the country over religion. He also said that those who will vote for them must prepare for hell. Farooq Abdullah said Muslims cannot snatch away the rights of others.

Farooq Abdullah also called Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government a threat to the survival of the country. Omar Abdullah, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister cautioned the people not to divide this country on the basis of religion, otherwise a storm will unleash making the survival of the nation difficult. He said it is better to talk about uniting the country, instead of dividing its people.

He was addressing an election rally in Thanamandi area of the Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir. The Anantnag parliamentary constituency will go for elections on May 25. Faroukh Abdullah reacted to PM Modi’s remark that the Congress will redistribute people’s money and property to Muslims if voted to power and said Muslims respect all religions. He said that they are Muslims and Allah has told them to respect other religions. He further added that a Muslim cannot snatch anyone’s right.

He remembered an incident when former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi once stopped his car in Pulwama and assured a poor Hindu woman that he would give her a mangalsutra as she could not afford it. Farooq Abdullah said those who were against the INDIA bloc are against the nation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier sparked a controversy last month as he commented that the Congress would take away the hard-earned money of the masses and distribute them among infiltrators and those with many children.  Speaking at a rally today, the Prime Minister took a jibe at the Congress and said the governments in the past were not able to implement the Indian Constitution in Jammu and Kashmir. He was referring to the revocation of Article 370.

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Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah writes to PM Modi, urges home ministry to cancel diplomatic passport of Prajwal Revanna

CM Siddaramaiah wrote in the letter to PM Modi that he must be aware of the serious case of alleged sexual exploitation of a number of women by the sitting Hassan Lok Sabha member of Parliament (MP) and the NDA candidate, Prajwal Revanna, for the same constituency for the  ongoing 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

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Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where he urged the Home Affairs Ministry to cancel the diplomatic passport of Prajwal Revanna. Earlier a day before Revanna was suspended by JD(S) amid a row over explicit videos. Revanna is believed to have escaped to Germany shortly after the first phase of elections ended in Karnataka on April 26, in which he was JD(S)-BJP’s candidate from Hassan.

CM Siddaramaiah wrote in the letter to PM Modi that he must be aware of the serious case of alleged sexual exploitation of a number of women by the sitting Hassan Lok Sabha member of Parliament (MP) and the NDA candidate, Prajwal Revanna, for the same constituency for the  ongoing 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The Karnataka Chief Minister wrote in letter that the Congress government in Karnataka has constituted a Special Investigation Team to investigate the allegations against Revanna. The SIT is working day and night to investigate the allegations of crimes against several women by Prajwal Revanna and getting him back to the country is of utmost importance so that he faces investigation and trial as per the existing law of the land.

Siddaramaiah urged PM Modi to move the Home Ministry to take swift action to cancel the diplomatic passport of Prajwal Revanna and appropriate action must be taken using diplomatic and police channels of the Government of India as well as international police agencies to ensure the swift return of the absconding member of parliament to face the existing law of the land.

Suspended JD(S) leader Prajwal Revanna, accused of sexually assaulting multiple women, broke his silence on Wednesday and said that truth will prevail soon. In his first response since the controversy erupted, Prajwal Revanna said on X that he is not in Bengaluru currently and has communicated the same to CID.

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Amit Shah says BJP will neither remove reservation for SCs, STs and OBC, nor will allow Congress to do so

The Home Minister alleged that the Congress’ formula was to speak lies loudly, publicly and repetitively. He advised Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge not to speak lies for a family as eventually he will have to take the blame for the party’s loss in the Lok Sabha elections

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday continued to attack Congress over reservation row. He was addressing a rally in Katghora town of Chhattisgarh’s Korba district to campaign for Saroj Pandey, BJP candidate from the Korba Lok Sabha seat where Shah said BJP will neither remove reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs, nor will it allow Congress to do so.

The Home Minister alleged that the Congress’ formula was to speak lies loudly, publicly and repetitively. He advised Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge not to speak lies for a family as eventually he will have to take the blame for the party’s loss in the Lok Sabha elections. Shah accused Congress of nurturing terrorism and Naxalism to win the Lok Sabha elections.

Shah further added that Congress claims if Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji gets majority for the third term, he will scrap reservation. He said the grand old party has even circulated his fake video. Shah said that have been in power for the last 10 years and PM Modi did not remove reservation, nor will he do it in the future.

The Union Home Minister further asserted Modi ji used the majority to scrap Article 370 and triple talaq, construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and introduce the Citizenship Amendment Act. He further told the Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge that Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi do not belong to anyone. He said on June 4 Congress will suffer defeat and the brother-sister duo will remain safe, but Kharge ji will be blamed.

Shah further asserted if PM Modi becomes the prime minister for the 3rd straight term, then Naxalism will be uprooted in two years in Chhattisgarh.  Shah targeted the previous Bhupesh Baghel-led government in Chhattisgarh and said, The Bhupesh Kakka government encouraged Naxalism, but after the BJP came to power in the state under CM Vishnu Deo Sai and Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma 95 Naxalites have been eliminated in 4 months.

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