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Singer Zarina Omarova has found herself at the center of an online discussion after posting a video of herself singing at her aunt's grave. The emotional performance, intended to express her longing for her deceased relative, has drawn both support and criticism from social media users.

An Emotional Tribute

Omarova shared the video on her social media, singing the song "Anashym" (My Mother) at her aunt's resting place. She explained in her post that she always visits her aunt's grave when she is in Shymkent, and this recent visit was to ease her feelings of missing her.

"When I come to Shymkent, I don't leave without visiting my aunt's grave. Yesterday I received blessings from Saken's mother, and today I visited my own aunt to ease my longing," the singer wrote.

Cultural Norms Questioned

However, the singer's act of singing at the gravesite did not sit well with a segment of the online community. Many commenters argued that singing at a grave is not a traditional Kazakh custom and expressed their bewilderment at her actions.

"Are you here to satisfy your desires and longing at your aunt's grave, beautiful girl?" one user questioned. Another commented, "May your aunt rest in paradise! But we Kazakhs never sang at graves. Prayers are offered to the spirits here." A third user asked, "What is this, singing instead of reciting the Quran?"