Deepika ‘Deeyah’ Thathaal, a Norwegian singer, composer and human rights activist of Pakistani Punjabi descent, issued a statement regarding the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto earlier today. “Benazir Bhutto was a courageous and remarkable woman,” Deeyah writes. “She was an important part of our past and was going to be an essential part of our future. This is a great loss for us all. RIP our Benazir Bhutto, daughter of Pakistan – you will be missed.”

Muslim singer ‘Deeyah’ sparks anger after using the Muslim veil in her latest music video. For years, the 27 year old singer has received threats of violence and intimidation from the Muslim community because of her ‘sexy’ image. “The point of the veil, and also then, some of the nudity in the video as well is, it is your choice, and for me and you and everybody to respect that choice,” she told Reuters.