Renowned playback singer and music composer, Salim Merchant, on Wednesday, condemned the ghastly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, that claimed 26 lives, and stated that the killers were not Muslims but "terrorists". Praying for the families of the deceased, he said that Islam does not teach violence.
Salim took to his Instagram handle on Wednesday night and posted a video, in which he said, "The innocent people were killed in Pahalgam because they were Hindus and not Muslims. Are the killers Muslims? No, they're terrorists. Because Islam doesn't teach this. In the Quran-e-Sharif, Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 256, it is said that there is no compulsion in religion. This is written in the Quran-e-Sharif."
He went on to say, "Today, I am ashamed as a Muslim to see my Hindu brothers and sisters being brutally attacked and killed only because they were Hindus. When will this end? People of Kashmir were doing well for the past 2-3 years, but they are now facing these problems once again. I don't know how to express my grief and anger."
"I pray for the innocent people who lost their lives. May God give their families strength and prosperity. Om shanti!," he concluded.
As soon as Salim shared the video, netizens agreed to his stand and thanked him for finally voicing it out.
On Wednesday morning, Salim had stated that there was no action or justice that could undo the loss of the bereaved families. "There are no words strong enough to heal the pain, no justice swift enough to undo the horror. We cry for those we lost. We ache for those left behind (sic)," he wrote on Instagram.
On April 22, terrorists attacked and fired at tourists enjoying their time at a popular spot in Pahalgam in broad daylight. As per eye-witnesses, the terrorists asked the tourists their religion before shooting them dead. As many as 26 people were killed, including a local horse-rider, who was shot while trying to disarm a terrorist and save the tourists.
