Erykah Badu banned over tattoos

Malaysian authorities scrapped a concert by American singer Erykah Badu on Tuesday after she angered Muslims with a photo in which she sports body art including the Arabic word for “Allah”.

Information Minister Rais Yatim said on Twitter that the concert was cancelled because it breached government guidelines on “religious sensitivities and cultural values” in the Muslim-majority country.

“The ‘Allah’ graphic on the singer’s body will surely cause controversy among Muslims,” Rais said.

In separate comments quoted by state news agency Bernama, he warned the concert -- scheduled for Wednesday -- would “lead to bigger problems” by threatening national security and tarnishing the government’s image.

The acclaimed soul artist had been scheduled to perform in the capital Kuala Lumpur - Al Arabiya