Soul singer Erykah Badu said Wednesday she holds no grudge against Malaysia's government for barring her from performing after a photograph of her body art offended some Muslims.
More than 1,500 people had bought tickets to watch the Grammy-winning American singer at a Kuala Lumpur auditorium Wednesday, but Malaysia's information minister announced on the eve of the concert that it could not proceed because a promotional photo of Badu with the Arabic word for Allah painted on her bare shoulders was "an insult to Islam."
"It's sad, because we traveled a long way," Badu told a news conference. "But I'm totally understanding of (the minister's) protection of the laws and its people. He doesn't want anything to happen. I'm good with that."
The photograph ignited criticism from some politicians and religious groups in Muslim-majority Malaysia after a newspaper published it Monday in a feature to promote Badu's show. The daily has since apologized for what it called an "oversight" that led to the photo's publication
Erykah issued a statement on her page to address the issue:
My favorite film maker is @alejodorowsky. He made a movie called The holy mountain in the 70s. 1 of his characters is called the painted lady ... She wore all symbols and names of God on her body. I posed as her in a photo shoot for New Am pt2. This idea embodies who we ALL are.. One ... This photo was chosen & edited by the promoters here in Malaysia. They were very responsible to the people and it'sMuslim beliefs ... One particular paper retrieved am unedited photo and printed it along with its article.. This is where the upset began ...The gov. Of Malaysia had to be responsible to its people's beliefs .. Even If it were just 1 or 2 complaints. I understand. It's an election year ... Keep in mind.
Malaysian Information Minister Rais Yatim said Tuesday that the controversy surrounding Badu's photo "could jeopardize national security and cause a negative impact to the government's image.
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