Madge is at it again. Whether Madonna is being sexy in a music video, battling ageism and sexuality, kissing Drake at Coachella, dating younger men, or sharing photos of her son possibly drinking, the singer and actress cannot escape criticism. Well, once again, controversy is surrounding her. On Sunday, Madonna shared a photo of a Jewish and Muslim man sharing a tender moment (it looks like they're about to kiss). Guess what? Either people are really happy about it or really not.
The caption accompanying the photo reads: "This image is 100. #rebelhearts." (FYI, Rebel Heart is the name of Madonna's new album.) As you can see below, their foreheads are touching and the men look like they are leaning in for a kiss. The photo received about 66,000 likes in one day, which goes to show you that it's not going unnoticed. According to The Global Jewish News Source, the men shown are a Palestinian man and a Hasidic Jewish man, who are wearing a "traditional Arab kefffiyeh" and a "large white knitted kippah of the Breslover Hasidic movement," respectively.
Many followers of Madonna have commented on the Instagram photo, with either supportive or disapproving thoughts. For example, one Instagram user said, "I see two men one Muslim perhaps and one Jewish together sharing a moment of peace. Can’t we just all get along without discussing religious beliefs?” Another person wrote, "I’m arab, [sic] and I found this great! People have the right to be whoever they want to be and be who they really are…" Someone else wrote, “If this pic portraying love between two human beings is ‘causing a commotion’ … YOU PEOPLE HAVE TOO MUCH TIME ON YOUR HANDS. GET A LIFE!!! IT’S LOVE, IT’S HUMAN.”
Again, not all users enjoyed the photo. One person wrote, "No. Simply No.” Someone else commented, “Israel still kill people everyday. [sic] This is beautiful but it’s not real.” Another person said, “U think cuz u put a gay Israeli n a gay Palestinian together makes it ok to perform in Israel [sic]."
Madonna has yet to comment on the criticism she's receiving for the photo, but she probably wouldn't have shared it if she didn't believe in LGBT rights — in all countries. For those who need a refresher, Madonna helped marry 33 gay and straight couples at the 2014 Grammy Awards, alongside Queen Latifah, Macklemore, Ryan Lewis, and Mary Lambert. For years, Madonna's been an icon for the LGBT community, so I'm sure she stands by her photo.
