LOS ANGELES, Feb. 27 (UPI) -- Katy Perry has removed a "blasphemous" Arabic reference from her "Dark Horse" music video.
The singer edited the video, released last week, after 22-year-old Shazad Iqbal garnered over 60,000 signatures on a Change.org petition that demanded the video be removed from YouTube.
Iqbal wrote in the petition that one minute and fifteen seconds into the video, "a man is shown being burned, whilst wearing a pendant (also burned) forming the word 'Allah', which is the arabic word for God."
He explained, "The video is considered...highly controversial to its viewers as a result of its portrayal of blasphemy," and that said blasphemy "is clearly conveyed in the video, since Katy Perry (who appears to be representing an opposition of God) engulfs the believer and the word God in flames."
The pendant has since been digitally removed from the video. Perry has reportedly stated that she did not mean to cause offense, and that she was "just trying to give a beautiful performance about a place I have so much love for...with no other thought besides it."
Iqbal later posted his thanks to everyone who signed, and said he was "thrilled" that "the name of Allah has been removed."
[Change.org] [Yahoo]
