Pragaash exposes Kashmiri gender fault lines

Kashmir’s first-ever girls’ rock band has triggered a fresh row between the mainstream and pro-freedom camp with Valley’s Grand Mufti, Mufti Bashir-ud-Din slamming Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for “expressing unnecessary support to a shameless act”. Reacting to threats projected at the Valley’s only All Girls’ Rock Band on social media, Omar had Saturday said “the talented teenagers should not let themselves be silenced by a handful of morons.” However, Mufti Bashir-ud-Din in a statement had said that “Such trivial acts (singing and playing instruments) never develop a society but are a first step to demolish its moral fabric. I am happy that the new generation has attained a pro-development and pro-religion stance but there are some girls treading on the path of destruction. They should stop from such activities and not to get influenced by the support of political leadership.” The Band ‘Pragaash (morning light) consists of three school girls, vocalist-guitarist Noma Nazir, drummer Farah Deeba and Guitarist Aneeka Khalid, performed their first live performance at Srinagar’s music festival, Battle of the Bands in December last year.

Chairman Hurriyat (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq commented that a rock band of Kashmiri girls is against the moral values. “We belong to the land of Sufi saints, where there is no place for musical concerts. It is irony that our girls are now being diverted towards westernization. There is no place for such acts in Islam,” he said and urged the parents of the girls to persuade their children to stay far from such things and instead follow Islamic teachings.

Chipping-in, Dukhtaran-e-Millat chief, Asiya Andrabi said she feels that Kashmir was being made a safe haven for Bollywood by allowing the filmmakers to shoot at ease here. “We appeal the parents of the rock band girls to ask their children refrain from singing as it is against the Islamic principles. If they don’t follow our advice, we would be forced to announce social boycott against them,” she said.

Head of Karawan-e-Islami, Moulana Ghulam Rasool Hami said women’s voice should only be heard by the women and that too without musical instruments like guitars etc. “There is no room for women or for that matter for the girls to sing in loud voice before the large audience. This is against Islam. We request the parents of girls to play their part as they are the first teachers of their children,” he said.

PDP SUPPORTS BAND: Amid toughening of stance by the separatist leaders, the main opposition, PDP came in support of the band, though guardedly. “Civil society should keep the equilibrium. We should not make it a gender war. Does the fatwa mean that men are allowed to perform and only females are restricted,” said PDP chief spokesman Naeem Akthar.

“Music is part of our spiritual culture since decades. There has to be a freedom. Kashmiris have been listening to female singers like Raja Begum, Zoon Begum and others since generations. Does it mean that those who used to listen to them are still doing so are non-Muslims?”

Referring to the fatwa, Akhtar said does it mean that men are allowed and only females are restricted to sing in Islam. “There has to be a balance in issuing fatwas,” he said