Kashmir girl group disband after Islamic death threats

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An all-female rock band in Kashmir have been forced to quit music after receiving death threats.

The teenage group, who go by the name Pragaash, recently won third place at a battle of the bands back in December.

Since then, however, they’ve been labelled “un-Islamic” by critics online and even some of the country’s religious figures.

Grand Mufti Bashiruddin Ahmad issued a fatwa on the band, telling AFP News: “When girls and young women stray from the rightful path this kind of non-serious activity can become the first step towards our destruction.”

Now the Kashmiri police are investigating those who sent threats of death and rape to the group.

One of the band’s former members told the BBC:

“Music was our passion. We did not know it was haraam . There are many artists from Kashmir who are performing. But they did not issue a fatwa against them. They did not stop them… But we are being stopped. We respect their opinion and we have quit. But I don’t know why we are being stopped.”

Pragaash have received much public support, being sent a personal message of help from famed Bollywood composer Vishal Dadlani.