Leaders of a mosque in Kenya have complained to a US-based designer whose T-shirt worn by musician Jay-Z depicts their holy building.
“You cannot associate a religious minaret with worldly things. You print a T-shirt with a logo that might end up in clubs and bars,” one of the leaders of Riyadha mosque in the city of Lamu reportedly wrote
“Let him apologise.”
The leaders are quoted as saying that, while they appreciated designer Zeddie Lukoye’s recognition of their city, they’d prefer him to use non-religious historical sites instead.
The American rapper and business mogul was spotted leaving an entertainment establishment in California dressed in one of Lukoye’s plays.
The general secretary of the mosque, Abubakar Badawy, criticized the use of the portrait and called it disrespectful.
“We do not consider this an honor, nor a privilege, for the historic mosque and its founder Habib Swaleh for its images presented in this way.
“The bars and clubs are an affront to the spiritual respect and dignity of the mosque, its founder, the congregation and the Muslim community in general inside and outside Lamu,” the Badawy wrote. .
The leadership of the mosque also cautioned the designer against using certain cultures to promote something that is not in line with their beliefs.
“He should understand that what he did was wrong not only for the mosque in Riyadh but for Islam in general. You cannot associate a religious minaret with things of the world. You print a T-shirt with a logo that could end up in clubs and bars. Let him apologize “, also weighed Mohamed Abdulkadir, president of the Coastal Interfaith Council of Clerics (CICC).
Lamu Elder Alawy Abzein for his part called on the fashion designer to remove the mosque portrait from his collection and instead use other non-religious symbols to promote the county.
“We have so many symbols promoting Lamu. We have the waterfront area, the boats and the dhows. Using a mosque minaret was a mistake. He should apologize and remove the minaret photo, the where appropriate, he respects Islam as a religion, “he advised.
The Riyadh Mosque is one of the oldest continuously operating Islamic education institutions in East Africa.
