Indian Music composer Salim Merchant on Wednesday condemned the terrorist attack near Kashmir’s Pahalgam, expressing deep anguish and shame over the incident.
“As a Muslim, I am ashamed we have to see this day. My innocent Hindu brothers and sisters were brutally murdered simply for their identity. When will this hatred end? Kashmir had finally begun to heal, and now this. I don’t even know how to put my grief and anger into words. I pray with my head bowed for the innocent people who lost their lives,” said Merchant in a video message in Hindi.
Merchant emphasised that the attackers who opened fire near Pahalgam on Tuesday were “terrorists”. “The attackers must not call themselves Muslims,” said the composer, adding that their actions did not align with the teachings of the Quran.
“Innocent people were killed in Pahalgam because they were Hindus and not Muslims. The attackers are terrorists because this is not what Islam preaches. In the Quran, religion is not a compulsion,” said Merchant.
In a different post, Merchant wrote, “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.”
Expressing his grief and shock over the incident, the composer added, “I’ve not been able to sleep at all for the last 24 hours. The gruesome brutality has deeply affected me.”
As per news reports, the terrorist attack in a meadow on Tuesday claimed at least 26 lives. Most of the victims were tourists.
Apart from Merchant, several other celebrities, including Kareena Kapoor Khan, Alia Bhatt, Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan, have expressed condolences to the bereaved families.