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Rihanna Apologises After Backlash For Using Islamic Texts In Lingerie Show

"We understand that we have hurt many of our Muslim brothers and sisters, and I’m incredibly disheartened by this," the singer wrote.

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Days after members of the Muslim community expressed their outrage over Rihanna featuring a sampling of an Islamic text in her lingerie fashion show, the singer is responding to the backlash.

The Fenty Beauty mogul apologised for what she called an “honest, yet careless mistake” on Tuesday, following the release of Savage X Fenty Volume 2, the second edition of her all-inclusive fashion presentation, which debuted Friday on Amazon Prime.

Fans called out Rihanna for including Coucou Chloe’s track “Doom,” which contained a remixed recording of Islamic hadith ― religious texts that represent teachings and sayings attributed to the Prophet Muhammad ― as part of the soundtrack to the show.

The sampling appears to be taken from a recitation by Kuwaiti Imam Mishary bin Rashid Alafasy, according to Time.

“I’d like to thank the Muslim community for pointing out a huge oversight that was unintentionally offensive in our Savage X Fenty show,” the singer wrote in a statement on Instagram stories, which was shared across her various social media accounts. “I would more importantly like to apologize for this honest, yet careless mistake. 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 this song in our project was completely irresponsible,” she concluded. “Moving forward, we will make sure nothing like this ever happens again.”

Paris Hilton seen on stage during Rihanna's Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 2.
Kevin Mazur via Getty Images
Paris Hilton seen on stage during Rihanna's Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 2.

Chloe has since announced she’s working on removing the song from all streaming platforms.

In a statement on Monday, the music producer also apologized for any hurt she’s caused, explaining she was “not aware that these samples used text from an Islamic Hadith” after finding them online.

“I take full responsibility for the fact I did not research these words properly and want to thank those of you who have taken the time to explain this to me,” Chloe wrote on Twitter.

The backlash to the inclusion of the song and the fashion show’s perceived use of Islam as just an aesthetic has been bubbling among the Muslim community online over the weekend with many fans expressing their disappointment.

Many have come to know Rihanna as the queen of inclusivity, as she’s sought to revolutionize the beauty and fashion worlds by highlighting an array of body sizes, races and gender identities in her brand.

Ahead of the show, the singer explained that she aimed for “completely extreme levels of inclusivity” in the recent fashion show with a focus on women who “aren’t usually projected as sexy, but they are.”

“I’m so focused on that and making women, not just anyone but everyone feeling invited, welcomed,” she told E! News last week. “Savage is a home, it’s a hub and it’s a safe space for everyone.”

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