Designer of Jay-Z T-shirt Apologises to Riyadha Mosque and Muslim Community in Lamu
The US-based Kenyan designer Zedekiah Lukoye popularly known as Zeddy Loky has apologised for designing a T-shirt with an image of Lamu’s Riyadha Mosque.
Zeddy Loky came under fire from the mosque’s management and the Islamic community in Lamu after American rapper Jay Z was last week spotted wearing the T-Shirt as he left a restaurant in California.
In a letter dated April 3, 2021, and addressed to Lukoye, the mosque said it was deeply concerned about the portrayal and misuse of the mosque’s image.
“We don’t consider this an honour, nor a privilege, for the historical mosque and its Founder Habib Swaleh for its imagery to be portrayed in such a way. Bars and clubs are an affront to the spiritual respect and dignity of the mosque, its founder, to the congregation, and the general Muslim community within and outside Lamu,” stated Islamic Centre Secretary-General Abubakar Badawy.
The Kenyan designer who printed a T-shirt with an image of Lamuâs Riyadha Mosque has apologized.
The move follows uproar from the mosqueâs management after American rapper and business mogul Jay Z was recently spotted wearing one of the designers T-shirts.
Zedekiah Lukoye, popularly known as Zeddie Loky, the chief executive officer of Blkkburd Genes, a firm based in Los Angeles, California that printed the T-shirt, said he was sorry for using the famous Riyadha Mosque portrait for the firms collection.
In the letter sent to Riyadha Mosque and Islamic Centre Secretary General Abubakar Badawy and privy to nation.africa, the designer confessed that he was unaware, during research and design stage, that the portrayal of the mosque on their T-shirts would end up in sacrilegious joints.
Kenyan designer apologises for Jay Z T-shirt image nation.co.ke - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nation.co.ke Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.