Issuing fatwa has become fashion: Women Commission

Expressing displeasure over fatwa issued against singer Nahid Afrin by Muslim clerics in Assam, women activists on Wednesday said issuing fatwa has become a fashion, adding that it should be issued on something more meaningful.

Talking to ANI, former Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Barkha Shukla Singh said it is totally wrong and music should not have any boundaries.

"I think this is totally wrong and music should not have any boundaries. People should be allowed to sing whatever they want to. I would say this is only for publicity as they could have imposed a fatwa against many big singers but they didn't. It has become a fashion now days," she added.

Echoing similar sentiments, NCW member Shamina Shafeeq said, "I think the so called maulana who keeps issuing fatwa should issue fatwa on something more meaningful. It is very saddening."

As many as 42 clerics issued a fatwa against reality singing star Nahid Afrin, who was the first runner-up of a musical reality TV show, asking her to stop performing in public.

According to reports, the fatwa has been issued against her keeping in view an upcoming event that was to be held on March 25. Since the venue of the event was in the vicinity of a mosque and a graveyard, the clerics have announced to boycott her singing programmes and have asked her to stop performing in public.

Nahid, who made her Bollywood singing debut for actress Sonakshi Sinha in the 2016 movie 'Akira', first rose to stardom after a successful stint on a reality singing show in 2015.