First thing first.. We support Nahid Afrin
Here we are looking into the whole controversy from the start.
“42 clerics issue fatwa against Indian Idol Junior singer Nahid Afrin” It all started by the News18 Assam/Northeast TV Channel.
And soon the news spared nationally.
Freedom of artists are essence of democracy. Spoke to Nahid and reiterated our Govt’s commitment to provide safety and security to artists.
— Sarbananda Sonowal (@sarbanandsonwal) March 14, 2017
Even Tasleema Nasreen, Vishal Dadlani tweeted out, expressing support for Nahid Afrin.
After getting fatwa from 46 mullahs in Assam,16 yrs old Nahid Afrin said she’ll never bow down and will never leave singing. Bravo girl!
— taslima nasreen (@taslimanasreen) March 15, 2017
Just spoke with #NahidAfrin and her parents. They are standing strong. Told her that we all stand with her.
She will not give up on music!— VISHAL DADLANI (@VishalDadlani) March 15, 2017
She got total protection from Police
Even ULFA says that they will monitor her music concerts if needed.
According to a report in the Times of India, the Assam Police was also looking to investigate an Islamic State angle to the episode.
But suddenly we got to know that there was no incident of any kind of fatwa.!!
Yes..
At first look at this pamphlet. The piece of paper on which all the news happened.
All extremely heartening, expect for that fact there may not have been a fatwa at all. The primary evidence of the supposed fatwa is a leaflet signed by 46 Muslim men, which was distributed in the districts of Hojai and Nagaon.
While the leaflet does categorically mention that the March 25 programme at Udali Sonai Bibi College in Lanka in Hojai district, where Nahid was scheduled to perform was “against the Sharia”, it does not as much as even mention Afrin’s name. The leaflet, which is headlined Guhari (translates into request/appeal), asks people not to attend the March 25 event. “If anti-Sharia acts like musical nights are held on grounds surrounded by masjids, idgahs, madrassas and graveyards, our future generations will attract the wrath of Allah,” it reads.
Referring to a magic show that was recently held in the venue, the pamphlet proclaims that magic, drama, theatre, dance, etc. are intrinsically against Sharia. “If we don’t keep our children away from such things, Allah will not spare any of us,” it says. In context of the musical show that was to be held on March 25, the pamphlet warns that such an event so close to religious places would “definitely anger Allah”.
“We humbly request you to restrain not only yourself from attending such an event but also encourage others to do the same,” it concludes.
The 46 signatories of the pamphlet include office bearers of the Assam State Jamiat Ulama and teachers from various madrassas around the state.
The First Reaction from Nahid Afrin
Nahid Afrin as told Scroll.in that, she only got to know about the so-called fatwa, when “a few media people called up my father last night.” The controversy has, however, left Afrin highly perturbed. “I didn’t even know what a fatwa means,” she said. “For a few minutes, I thought I had done something wrong and I should give up singing.”
What is a Fatwa?
According to Islamic supreme council, a fatwā is an Islamic legal pronouncement, issued by an expert in religious law (mufti), pertaining to a specific issue, usually at the request of an individual or judge to resolve an issue where Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh), is unclear. Typically, such uncertainty arises as Muslim society works to address new issues – issues that develop as technology and society advance.
In this case, the secretary of the Assam State Jamiat Ulama, Maulvi Fazlul Karim Qasimi, stressed that no fatwa has been issued in this case and blamed the media for spreading misinformation. “Is this how a fatwa is issued? On a piece of paper?”
The venue in question, Qasimi said, was in close proximity to religious and educational institutes and there have been instances of people creating a ruckus during similar shows in the past. “The appeal simply states that people might as well avoid the event since there have been instances of people getting drunk and vitiating the atmosphere in the past,” he claimed.
The Maulvi insisted that the community was proud of Afrin – and the notice had nothing to do with her in particularly. “It is just that she was performing in that particular venue.”
That may, however, not be strictly true. According to Afrin, a few local clerics had also objected to her participating in the reality show where she finished second. “They had dissuaded people from voting for me, saying it was a gunah [a crime] to do so as it was against the Sharia,” she said.
Nahid Afrin is an over-achiever by all standards. At 16, she has been a playback singer in a mainstream Bollywood film, finished second in the country’s most high-profile musical reality show and has won so many awards in singing competitions across the country that she doesn’t even bother to count them.
Best of Luck Nahid!!
