American Hindu leaders are demanding an apology from Selena Gomez for wearing a bindi symbol on her forehead during her "insensitive" performance at Sunday's MTV Movie Awards, WENN reports.
Should Glee call it quits? Vote on which shows have outstayed their welcome
"The bindi on the forehead is an ancient tradition in Hinduism and has religious significance," Rajan Zed, a spokesman for the Universal Society of Hinduism, said. "It is also sometimes referred to as the third eye and the flame, and it is an auspicious religious and spiritual symbol... It is not meant to be thrown around loosely for seductive effects or as a fashion accessory aiming at mercantile greed. Selena should apologize and then she should get acquainted with the basics of world religions."Though Gomez has yet to respond, many of her fans expressed outrage at what they called "cultural appropriation" during the singer's performance "Come & Get It.""My friend who is a Sikh is raging that Selena wore a bindi 'she has no right, it's like she's mocking us, it isn't her religion, we don't go around wearing crosses. It's not our religion. We would most likely get burned to the ground if we did, why is she so special," one person wrote
25 Bubble Shows: Which will survive?
"Selena Gomez, unless you're Indian or doing it for religious reasons there is no reason to wear a bindi. Change your act," tweeted
another.Was Gomez's performance offensive? Watch her performance below and let us know what you think.