Rihanna Has Apologized to the Muslim Community After Being Accused of Disrespecting Islam
Rihanna Has Apologized to the Muslim Community After Being Accused of Disrespecting Islam
An "unintentionally offensive" choice in the singer's Savage x Fenty show incited major backlash.
Rihanna came under fire following her Savage x Fenty show in L.A. on Friday.
Social media users pointed out that the lingerie show featured Coucou Chloe’s song “Doom,” which includes a remix of an Islamic Hadith (words attributed to the Prophet Muhammad which act as guidance for Muslims).
Many called the multi-hyphenate out for cultural appropriation, and some noted that the same track was used in Rihanna’s Fenty x Puma show in 2017 as well.
Rihanna is messed up for using a song with a Hadith in it to play at her LINGERIE show. What is up with artists using Islam as an aesthetic?? Have some respect.
— n (@nelirv_) October 4, 2020
i can’t let Rihanna have a pass w appropriating Islam like for her first show the models wore a scarf around their heads and it looked like HIJAB and her second show she used a track that remixed a HADITH....why is no one talking about this, my religion is not y’all’s aesthetic
— . (@reversecocunut) October 4, 2020
as a muslim, no words can describe how disappointed i am with Rihanna for letting her models dance to hadith. Hadith are the sacred words of our prophet, you can't just use it for your lingerie show. disgusting and extremely disrespectful
— dee⁷ (@kookdice) October 4, 2020
the fact that it’s rihanna’s SECOND time using the hadith is even worse. pic.twitter.com/IiZrHhNU8r
— sheza (@kkeyis) October 4, 2020
okay the fact that rihanna’s show was supposed to be a keystone for “inclusion” while she completely alienated the Muslim community by disrespecting a Hadith recitation is the perfect showcase of how fashion brands & the media have never considered us as a part of their audience
— myesha thee stallion (@myeshachou) October 5, 2020
Following the backlash, Rihanna issued an apology on Instagram, explaining that it was an “unintentionally offensive” mistake.
"I'd like to thank the Muslim community for pointing out a huge oversight that was unintentionally offensive in our Savage x Fenty show,” she began. “I would more importantly like to apologize to you for this honest, yet careless mistake.”
Instagram/badgalriri
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"We understand that we have hurt many of our Muslim brothers and sisters and I'm incredibly disheartened by this! I do not play with any kind of disrespect toward God or any religion and therefore the use of the song in our project was completely irresponsible!”
“Moving forward we will make sure nothing like this ever happens again,” she promised. “Thank you for your forgiveness and understanding, Rih.”
