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.
Jay-Z wore a T-shirt depicting a famous mosque. Its clerics aren’t happy
The designer of a T-shirt worn by Jay-Z, featuring a historic Kenyan mosque, has apologized to clerics who criticized the use of its image.
Jay-Z was spotted wearing the T-shirt showing Lamu’s Riyadha Mosque on March 30, as he came out of a restaurant in Santa Monica, California.
Images were uploaded to Instagram by both the T-shirt designer Zeddie Loky, who is Kenyan, and the clothing brand, blkburd genes.
On April 3, the Riyadha Mosque posted a letter to Loky on its Facebook page, saying the management committee and worshipers were “disturbed and actually feel insulted” by the photos of Jay-Z wearing the T-shirt, which features a green image of the mosque on a white background, with the word “Lamu” printed above it.
Jay-Z criticised after being pictured in a mosque t-shirt msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The move, however, has elicited anger and prompted the Riyadha Mosque’s management, under its Secretary General Abubakar Badawy, to write a letter to Mr Lukoye compelling him to come out publicly and apologise.
In the letter dated April 3, 2021, the mosque explains that the congregation was deeply concerned about the portrayal of their mosque in what they referred to as sacrilegious joints as portrayed on the designer’s social media accounts.’
Watch and learn more about the iconic #Lamu Riyadha Mosque on Jay Z’s t-shirt and the man behind it https://t.co/a9x0YMrhyJ#TETE#HabibSwalehpic.twitter.com/iyIq9H2Zv0