Pamphlet against Nahid Afrin: Will sing till my last breath, says Indian Idol Junior runner up

Editor's note: This article, originally published on 15 March, has been corrected to reflect that it was not a fatwa that was issued against Nahid Afrin as previously reported, but a pamphlet.Just days after a Muslim girl from Karnataka was trolled and slammed for singing Hindu devotional songs, a pamphlet has reportedly been issued against the 16-year-old singer by 46 clerics to stop her from performing in public.[caption id="attachment_3335556" align="alignleft" width="380"] Nahid Afrin said she was shocked to learn of the fatwa. (Image: TV Grab)[/caption]According to a report in The Week, the pamphlet by the Assam clerics was issued against Nahid Afrin, first runner-up in the reality TV show Indian Idol Junior, keeping in mind a performance scheduled for 25 March – which was to take place in the vicinity of a mosque and a graveyard.The clerics asked Afrin to stop performing in public and announced that her programmes ought to be boycotted.Zee News reported that leaflets, which contained the names of the clerics, were distributed across the Hojai and Nagaon districts of central Assam."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," the leaflet read.Afrin, who has lent her voice to a song in the Sonakshi Sinha film Akira, has also reportedly sung songs denouncing the Islamic State, CNN-News 18 reported. The Assam Police are looking into whether the leaflet was in response to these songs.Afrin has received support from singer Vishal Dadlani and Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen.India Today reported that Afrin felt "shocked and broken from the inside at first" but decided not to quit music after being inspired by many Muslim singers. Afrin said she was not afraid of the threat and would continue to pursue her career. "My singing is gift of God. I believe it must be properly utilised, not doing so is ignoring God," she said.Speaking to CNN-News18, Afrin said, "Ten percent people may be against me but I am happy with the 90 percent standing with me. I want to put an end to all this in the name of religion... people who have a bright future should be encouraged.""A great thanks to all my well wishers for supporting me throughout my journey... I promise I will continue to sing till my last breath," Afrin added.