Islam Killing Music and Laughter

February 9, 2009
Pakistan: Jihadists killing laughter, music

The day the music died -- or 90% of it

Hadith Qudsi 19:5: "The Prophet said that Allah commanded him to destroy all the musical instruments, idols, crosses and all the trappings of ignorance."

The Hadith Qudsi, or holy Hadith, are those in which Muhammad transmits the words of Allah, although those words are not in the Qur'an.

Muhammad also said:

(1) "Allah Mighty and Majestic sent me as a guidance and mercy to believers and commanded me to do away with musical instruments, flutes, strings, crucifixes, and the affair of the pre-Islamic period of ignorance."
(2) "On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will pour molten lead into the ears of whoever sits listening to a songstress."

(3) "Song makes hypocrisy grow in the heart as water does herbage."

(4) "This community will experience the swallowing up of some people by the earth, metamorphosis of some into animals, and being rained upon with stones." Someone asked, "When will this be, O Messenger of Allah?" and he said, "When songstresses and musical instruments appear and wine is held to be lawful."

(5) "There will be peoples of my Community who will hold fornication, silk, wine, and musical instruments to be lawful .." -- 'Umdat al-Salik r40.0


"Allah did not create man so that he could have fun. The aim of creation was for mankind to be put to the test through hardship and prayer. An Islamic regime must be serious in every field. There are no jokes in Islam. There is no humor in Islam. There is no fun in Islam. There can be no fun and joy in whatever is serious." -- The Ayatollah Khomeini

"Militants killing laughter and music in Pak," from Reuters, February 9 (thanks to Jeffrey Imm):

Pakistani comedian Alamzeb Mujahid had bad news for his fans after being freed by Islamist militants who kidnapped him in Peshawar city last month.
"I'm retiring from showbiz," Mujahid, whose stage name is Janaan, told a news conference without going into details about either the kidnapping or his reasons for quitting the stage.

Friends and colleagues were less circumspect.

They say Mujahid, an ethnic Pashtun, was kidnapped by Islamist vigilantes hell-bent on imposing Taliban-style values in North West Frontier Province (NWFP), a volatile region bordering Afghanistan.

A veteran of hundreds of theatre and television plays, the slim, clean shaven 38-year-old actor has begun growing a beard for his life after comedy.

Reluctant to speak about his life-changing experience, Mujahid told Reuters he was joining Tablighi Jamaat, a Muslim missionary group, to preach religion.

"God has fed me before and will continue to feed me now," he said solemnly.

Mujahid was lucky.

Others who have fallen foul of militant morality squads, didn't get a second chance.

CATALOGUE OF MURDER In January, a woman dancer, Shabana, was dragged onto the street and shot in the centre of Mingora, a town in Swat, a valley about 130 km north of the capital Islamabad where militants are virtually in complete control.

Gunmen tried to kill Pashtun singer Sardar Yousafzai in Dir district as he returned home after performing at a wedding party in December. He escaped but his harmonium player, Anwar Gul, was killed and four other people were wounded in the attack.

The climate for anyone associated with the entertainment industry in the region turned hostile after Islamist parties rode to power in NWFP on a wave of anti-American sentiment following the U.S.-led invasion of neighbouring Afghanistan in late 2001.

The disapproving Islamist parties banned music on public transport and had movie posters featuring women torn down.

Militants went a lot further.

At first, music shops in tribal areas such as Waziristan were blown up and then attacks spread across the northwest as the Islamist tide radiated outwards, towards cities and towns. [...]

Several singers and musicians have already fled abroad, and others plan to follow.

"I'm scared of leaving my home. Even if I go out, my wife keeps calling to check on me," said one singer, who asked for his name to be withheld for fear of reprisal by militants.

"We are very scared. That's why I am planning to go abroad." Others have simply found safer ways to earn money for their families.

"Ninety percent of the music is dead," said a musician, reduced to selling fruit and vegetables for a living.

Beside him lay his harmonium gathering dust.