Rihanna is being called out for posing topless while wearing a depiction of the Hindu god Ganesha.
“Can we stop sexualizing people's religion for clout,” read one comment on the photo, which was posted to the singer’s Instagram and Twitter accounts on Tuesday. It shows Rihanna in nothing but a pair of satin boxers from her Savage x Fenty collection and several pieces of jewelry, including a pendant of the widely revered elephant-headed deity.
“My religion is not an aesthetic,” one person tweeted in response. Another fumed: “Our culture is not your costume.”
One comment reads: “How is this okay when a person has more than enough resources to at least find out the meaning and significance of the chains and pendant around their neck?”
“I lost all my respect for Rihanna,” someone declared. “How can you wear the Ganesha necklace and think it’s ok to pose like that?”
Ram Kadam of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party said it is “appalling” to see how Rihanna “shamefully mocks our beloved Hindu God” and accused the pop star of having “no respect for Indian culture.”
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Earlier this month, Rihanna was indirectly slammed by the government of India after she tweeted a link to a CNN report on farmers protests in the country and captioned it: “why aren’t we talking about this?!”
In a statement, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said: “Before rushing to comment on such matters, we would urge that the facts be ascertained, and a proper understanding of the issues at hand be undertaken. The temptation of sensationalist social media hashtags and comments, especially when resorted to by celebrities and others, is neither accurate nor responsible.”
Last October, Rihanna apologized publicly for including a track that samples a Hadith in a Savage x Fenty show. Hadiths are records of the traditions or sayings of the Prophet Muhammad and are sacred to Muslims.
The pop star called it an “honest, yet careless mistake.”