(CNN) — Selena Gomez’s performance of her new song, “Come and Get It,” at the MTV Movie Awards on Sunday has received plenty of attention … but not all of it has been positive.
Some found the 20-year-old singer’s bindi, worn on her forehead as part of her costume, to be insensitive.
Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who is the President of the Universal Society of Hinduism, said in a statement that the bindi carries a religious significance that’s “not meant to be thrown around loosely for seductive effects as fashion accessory aiming at mercantile greed.”
Gomez isn’t alone. The bindi, sometimes also called the third eye, hasn’t been an uncommon sight in Hollywood, as other stars like Katy Perry and, perhaps most memorably, Gwen Stefani, have been seen wearing the religious symbol.
For Zed, that’s problematic because it wasn’t “created just for Hollywood’s usage to add dramatic [e]ffects, as some sanctity and spirituality was attached to these.”
In the statement, Zed asks Gomez for an apology, saying that “as a renowned performer, she should get acquainted with the basics of world religions.”
A rep for Gomez has no comment in response to the criticism.
CNN’s Jane Caffrey contributed to this report.
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