Fatwa issued against all-girl rock group in Kashmir
Kashmiri muslim protesters shout pro-freedom slogans as they sit in a vehicle, during an anti-India protest, in Srinagar on the first day of Ramadan on August 12, 2010.
The only famous all-girl rock group in Kashmir is calling it quits after receiving death threats. The group had faced constant threats and abuses for defying gender roles in Kashmir's male-dominated, religious society, PTI reported. The threats were ramped up when Kashmir's top cleric called them "un-Islamic" and issued a Fatwa against them.
“I have said, singing is not in accordance with Islamic teachings,” The Grand Mufti Bashiruddin Ahmad told PTI.
More from GlobalPost: Pussy Riot appeals hooliganism conviction in Russia
The three teenagers — drummer Farah Deeba, guitarist Aneeka Khalid and vocalist-guitarist Noma Nazir — started their band in December when they registered to be in a "Battle of the bands" contest, The Hindustan Times reported. They were soon criticized for being "immodest."
"Just tell everyone we have quit. We are no more a band," one of the members of the group Pragaash told BBC News today.
Kashmir is one of India's only Muslim-majority states and has been subject to violent insurgencies since 1989, the BBC said. Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has promised to protect the teens and investigate the threats.
Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you. We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
Make a gift today, and you’ll help us unlock a matching gift of $67,000!