muslim faith and music question

[qazxc]

Hello, I have a question about people of muslim faith and music.
I work in a community art organisation and we are creating and running an international song group. It will be an inclusive place where participants can come and share and learn songs from different cultures.
Would it be appropriate for me to reach out to muslim communities?
I have a doctor who has told me that, in his muslim faith, music is only used for worship. I don't want to offend anyone by offering to partake in something that would go against their beliefs.

Its a lovely idea but what the doctor said is true- most muslims avoid listening to music and also a mixed event with men and women together may not be attended by many muslims as many prefer segregated events. There's reasons for all those things which are difficult to understand if you aren't within the faith. (Im an English convert to Islam). What might be better is an all woman/all male event sharing food maybe with some poetry from different countries.

Thank you, the group and facilitators are all female so I wasn't worried about that aspect, but some of our other activities maybe more suitable for members of the Muslim community.

A lot of Muslims from India and Pakistan subscribe to the Deobandi version of Islam, which believes that music is Haram ( forbidden/ dirty) as it arouses passions and takes one away from god’s path. Other forms of Islam may use music in a devotional setting eg Sufi, and others still would just take an individual view. Hard to say therefore what is appropriate in all situations, but it could be a bit of a minefield.

The music being haram/forbidden thing may be true of some factions but not all. North African culture is very music heavy, instruments are used purposely to rouse the spirits and to create a sense of communuity togetherness. There is an Islamic worship song that I think a school group from North America/Canada sang recently and it's really beautiful, search on YouTube!

Yeah I dont think it would cause a huge amount of offense to reach out and promote your group and leave it up to individual women to choose.
Lots of the women I know from the middle East like music and drumming as well, especially in a women-only space.