Kurdish pop singer Dashni Morad denies leaving Islam for Zoroastrianism

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region –Kurdish pop singer Dashni Morad has denied leaving Islam and converting to Zoroastrianism, saying she was disappointed by defamatory remarks targeting her on social media websites.

 

“I have not changed my religion,” Dashni wrote in a Facebook post, adding that the “rumors” may have arisen from a video clip she recently posted on Instagram.

 

“A few days ago, I uploaded on Instagram a video in which I was reading a Zardashti (Zoroastrian) book, and as usual, I had put the title of the book on the video,” she wrote. “And my intention for reading the book was to understand the history of my nation.”

 

“Unfortunately, some websites have used this video, alleging that I have changed my religion to Zoroastrianism,” Dashni responded on Facebook. “This is not true.”

 

The 30-year-old pop singer said that some social media sites make deliberate attempts to ruin the reputation of Kurdish women and that they have taken her Instagram video out of context.

 

“I am disappointed to see that the Kurdish media is very brave in ruining the reputation of Kurdish women as a whole,” she wrote. “There are people who pay these websites to run defamatory stories about women.”

 

Dashni is a popular singer, songwriter, and onetime TV presenter.

 

She gained a wide following after she hosted a show titled Be Control or Without Control on Kurdish TV in 2005.

 

She has also introduced Western elements and melody to her Kurdish songs.

 

Zoroastrianism has now become popular among Kurds as many try to return to what they believe was their ancestral religion.

The first official Zoroastrian temple was opened in Sulaimani last month.