Istafa Ali
Famous singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan has joined hands in an expression of genuine regret and a request for pardon. The musician speaks candidly to his fans in a moving three-minute video that he posted to social media.
The singer started off by saying, “I’m recording a very special message for you all today.” He went on, putting his hands together, “I would like to apologise. First of all, I ask my God, who created all people equally, for forgiveness for the error I did. I shouldn’t have acted in such a manner against another human as I am a human. And I really shouldn’t have, as an artist.”
He went on, “I want to apologise to my family, family friends, friends, and especially my fans, who have been greatly upset by my actions. My family has been associated with the art of Qawwali for 600 years, and our message is one of love, peace, and brotherhood. I ask God for forgiveness before doing that, and I promise that I won’t do the same mistake twice.”
The singer continued, saying, “I don’t know how long this lot has been making my videos without my knowledge, but the video is from nine years ago. I’m already aware of the upcoming videos. These began to occur immediately following our news presentation. How come not earlier? Why didn’t you release these sooner, if you’re such a shining example of humanity? I also see this in a favourable light. Their actions let me recognise how wrong I was.”
“I completely respect those who have boycotted me—to guide me, because they love me—the fundamental thing is love,” Khan continued. This is not how they want to see their artist. I’m sorry to everyone who was offended. Whatever tapes there may be, rest assured that they will attempt this again. I’ll give you the date; please locate the forensic report. All of the videos are fake, some of them were manufactured by them, and they are all attempts at defamation and humiliation. It’s an unsuccessful attempt.”
As he was about to conclude his speech, Khan remarked, “I hope to continue singing. All I want to do is sorry for how I behaved. I would like to express my regret to the singing community as well as to my female fellow musicians. I also apologise to the music directors who composed pieces for me.”
Khan stated in a previous podcast with Adeel Asif, “I apologised to him right away. He began to cry after I apologised and said, “Ustad ji, why are you doing this (apologising)?” “I have paid for his father’s heart treatment and his daughter’s operation,” he continued. I have assisted him, even with his family’s weddings.”
Khan underlined once more that “holy water” with deep spiritual significance was contained in the lost bottle. He was frustrated that people would not understand how far this feeling went, highlighting how important it was to him. In his opinion, the circumstances were profoundly significant and spiritual in nature. “It is true that holy water was contained in the bottle. The depth of such emotion is not understood by most people. For me, it’s a spiritual matter. It meant a lot to me,” he remarked.
Khan continued, “My father (Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan) used to beat me a lot,” shedding light on his early years. He bore similarities to Hitler. He would simply smack me with a stone if he ever found out about any mistakes I had done. Had someone not intervened to save me, I would have just been struck by a large stone.
When asked if he had ever been physically chastised as a pupil, Khan replied that he had had comparable experiences. He did not, however, disclose the identity of his ustad (teacher) in this regard. Khan, who studied under the renowned Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, characterised the qawwali singer as being very severe. “Ustad Fateh Ali Khan was a very severe person. He used to be able to tell someone they were going to hear some unpleasant news just by looking at them. When it comes to music, I have never seen someone as rigid as him,” the man remarked.
