This blog is predominantly my thoughts and notes on decoration but due to recent events I feel obliged to comment about Rihanna’s recent behaviour in Abu Dhabi.
I appreciate some of her music but I have absolutely no interest in the way she conducts her life in general..it’s her life and its her business and it has less than nothing to do with me and my life, however,when she recently visited the Sh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi on her tour to the Middle east, she (in my opinion) behaved with a complete lack of respect for the culture of the country she was visiting…a tolerant and welcoming country which I live in and which I respect and love.
The Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi welcomes people from all religions and it is a fascinating and beautiful place to visit but while there, it is impossible to forget that it is a place of worship, and as such, has to be respected. Women must cover themselves completely-no arms or legs visible and hair must be covered in a scarf. It adds to the feeling that you are preparing to enter a holy place. The staff help you get dressed in an abaya and headscarf and there are numerous signs with a list of rules on how to conduct yourself
If you look at the photos which she posted on her Instagram account, Rihanna is dressed appropriately in an outfit which covers her arms and legs and she is wearing a scarf to cover her hair- this is all in accordance with the way one should dress when visiting a holy place such as a Masjid or Mosque but it astounds me that she was not informed, by her own staff of how inappropriate it was to pose in such a suggestive manner-lounging around on the marble …it is a church…a place of worship! Would she do the same in the Vatican, or a Hundu temple?
It also makes me wonder why these successful women, who are role models to millions of young girls would behave so inappropriately..look at the whole Mylie Cyrus debacle at the AMA’s…what was she thinking? Are these women doing to this to get a reaction? Most definitely…is it the right one? No…I find it very sad that a woman of 25 is unaware of how to behave in a situation like this. It demonstrates, in its most basic form, a lack of consideration for other people and a lack of respect for the culture. Rihanna was eventually asked to leave the mosque and rightly so..when my mum and my sister and I visited the mosque a couple of years ago, I would never have done anything so disrespectful..we did take photos, but only at the appropriate time and certainly not posed photos such as these. If we had, I have no doubt whatsoever that we would have been asked to leave….perhaps because I have lived in the Middle East for so long, I am deeply aware of the local culture and I always dress appropriately, particularly in business situations, where I usually meet with people of different cultures. I , as a Westerner, found Rihanna’s behaviour offensive and tacky and I hope that she takes the many comments on Instagram to heart…somehow, I doubt it.
A Decorator's Notebook 