A disappointing week for Rihanna, whose decision to Rihanna-it-up outside a mosque has failed to entice holy war to be declared on her ass.
If you missed the snaps, posted on the singer's Instagram feed, her ladyship has been in the Middle East this week, and at some point found herself at Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre.
I say she found herself, but the visit seems to have been meticulously planned, from Rihanna's outfit – has Asda recently been forced to withdraw a Sexy Muslim costume? – to the shots of her attempting various seductive poses in its grounds.
Quite what she attempted to achieve is unclear, and though she was eventually asked to leave, the mosque's statement on the matter is a masterclass in low-key cordiality.
"The Centre would like to point to a personal visit incident that was carried out by 'a prominent singer' to the mosque," this ran. "The singer did not make arrangements with the mosque's management prior to her visit and had used an entrance that is not intended for visitors … Despite being directed to enter through the visitors' entrance to take a standard tour of the mosque, the singer stayed outside to take some photos. She was asked to leave once it became apparent that some of the photographs she took were not in compliance with the terms of the mosque."
Lost in Showbiz loves the deliciously deflating mundanity of that "not in compliance with the terms of the mosque", when you get the feeling Rihanna was really gunning for the full fatwa. The management are saluted for their unflappable response, which may well be the most elegant "yes dear" Rihanna has yet incurred.
