Bollywood celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar and others condemned the brutal terror attack in Pahalgam that took 26 innocent lives. Music composer Salim Merchant also expressed anger over the attack, stating that the terrorists should not be associated with any religion, certainly not Islam. (Also Read: ‘Deeply anguished’ Priyanka Chopra condemns heinous attack in Pahalgam: ‘This is not a tragedy we can move past from’)
Salim Merchant’s video message
On Thursday, Salim took to Instagram and shared a video message condemning the terror attack. He said, “The innocent people who were killed in Pahalgam were targeted because they were Hindus and not Muslims. Are the killers Muslims? No, they’re terrorists. Because Islam doesn’t teach this.” Further quoting from the Quran, he referenced Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 256, saying, “It is said that there is no compulsion in religion. This is written in the Quran Sharif.”
He added, “Mujhe sharam aa rahi hai as a Muslim ki yeh din dekhna padh raha hai (As a Muslim, I feel ashamed that we have to see this day) — that 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. May God give strength and prosperity to them and their families. Om Shanti.”
On Wednesday, expressing sorrow for the families of those who lost their lives in the terror attack, Salman Khan wrote on X, “Kashmir, heaven on planet earth, turning into hell. Innocent people being targeted, my heart goes out to their families. Ek bhi innocent ko marna puri kainath ko marne ke barabar hai (Killing one innocent person is like killing all of humanity).”
Shah Rukh Khan also penned a note which read, “Words fail to express the sadness and anger at the treachery and inhumane act of violence that has occurred in Pahalgam. In times like these, one can only turn to God and say a prayer for the families that suffered, and express my deepest condolences. May we, as a nation, stand united, strong, and get justice against this heinous act.”
About Pahalgam terror attack
On April 22, suspected militants opened fire on tourists in Pahalgam, killing 26 people, most of them civilians. Reuters reported that the police called it ‘the worst such attack in the country in nearly two decades’. The attack has shaken people to the core, and there are now widespread calls for strict action against the perpetrators.
