Selena Gomez has angered Muslims after posting a photo of herself on Instagram where she is showing off her ankles inside a mosque. She has since removed the photo.
Gomez was visiting a mosque and posted photos with musicians Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, Cody Simpson and Shay Mitchell. The group were posting photos that were deemed inappropriate according to strict mosque rules, which prohibit any “intimate behavior.” Their idea of intimate behavior includes holding hands, kissing, and wearing skirts that are not ankle length.
Gomez’s photo, which she has since removed from her Instagram account, has her posing and deliberately showing off her ankle at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is one of the most revered Islamic sites in the United Arab Emirates. This ankle photo drew comments from Selena Gomez’s muslim followers. One said “Disrecpectful! It’s a religion place not a place to have fun in, so disappointed.” Another added ‘If their intent was to learn about Islam they wouldn’t be posing like they were standing outside and amusement park.”
Members of the mosque told TMZ they had two major issues with the picture. First, Selena’s leg being exposed and the “sexy” pose show disrespect. Second, the rules at the mosque prohibit both laughing and smiling. While both issues appear extreme to most in the United States, they are the rules of the mosque and the religion.
While Gomez had a few supporters online, most Muslim followers of the pop star voiced enough disappointment to have Gomez remove the pictures from her accounts.
Selena Gomez’s ankle photo follows a few other celebrities who have inadvertently offended the Muslims by posing at mosques. Rihanna was asked to leave a mosque after she posed in front of it. Though she was covered, her posing was deemed inappropriate.
[photo credit: Tabercil]