The Small Change to a Katy Perry Music Video After Thousands of Muslims Complained Over 'Blasphemy

Footage of an Arabic pendant has been removed from one of pop singer Katy Perry's music videos after Muslims launched a petition calling the imagery blasphemous.

The video for the song "Dark Horse" initially included the destruction of an Arabic pendant with the word "Allah" on it, prompting an online Change.org petition for YouTube to take the video down.

"The video is considered as highly controversial to its viewers as a result of its portrayal of blasphemy," the petition states. At about one minute in, "a man is shown being burned, whilst wearing a pendant (also burned) forming the word 'Allah', which is the [A]rabic word for God."

Before and after images showing the removal of an "Allah" pendant from Katy Perry's "Dark Horse" music video. (Image source: YouTube)

Change.org user Shazad Iqbal from Bradford, U.K., 22, launched the initial petition and posted an update declaring victory on Wednesday after the image was scrubbed from the existing video.

"Guys I'm thrilled to let you all know the name of Allah has been removed from the 'Dark Horse' video we couldn't have done it without everyone's support so I thank each and every one of you deeply, our voices have been heard!," Iqbal wrote. "God bless you all."

The petition had received more than 65,000 signatures.

Watch the scrubbed video below:

—

Featured image via Katy Perry/YouTube account.