Bikinis and mini-skirts may be commonplace in the Western world, but the Middle-East is a slightly different story. Countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran enforce strict modesty laws on women in keeping with Islamic tradition, and prohibit any skin other than the face and hands from showing. These restrictions even apply to Britney and Madonna, as it turns out.
Wearing sexy, revealing clothing is a great way to sell pretty much anything in North America. When these steamy images make their way into Islamic territories via media and advertisements, however, they’re required to be toned down before they can be released to the public. In most cases, religious police in charge of censorship – known as mutaween – just take a big old Sharpie to Mariah’s midriff or Shakira’s shoulders. Recently, however, they’ve started to get a little creative with Photoshop, and even made headlines last week for replacing a woman in a pool ad with a beach ball. A+ for effort!
Check out the best, the worst, and the funniest edited images for sensitive audiences below, and just try to tell us that J-Lo isn’t totally rocking those permanent marker pants.
#1 Christina Aguilera – Lotus
Image source: amazon.com
#2 Mariah Carey – #1’s
#3 Pool Ad
#4 Shakira – Oral Fixation
Image source: amazon.com
#5 Justin Bieber – Purpose
Image source: amazon.com
#6 Britney Spears – Oops!…I Did It Again
Image source: amazon.com, discogs.com
#7 Christina Aguilera – Stripped
Image source: amazon.com, discogs.com
#8 Lady Gaga – Do What U Want
Image source: amazon.com
#9 Nirvana – Nevermind
Image source: amazon.com, discogs.com
#10 Miley Cyrus – Bangerz
Image source: amazon.com
#11 Mariah Carey – Butterfly
Image source: amazon.com
#12 Britney Spears Greatest Hits: My Prerogative
Image source: amazon.com, coolsboi
#13 Jennifer Paige – Jennifer Paige
Image source: amazon.com
#14 Rihanna’s Perfume Ad In Kuwait
#15 Lady Gaga – Artpop
Image source: amazon.com
#16 Riana Grande – My Everything
Image source: amazon.com
#17 Censored Floaties In Saudi Arabia
Image source: thekulas.blogspot.lt
#18 Lady Gaga – The Remix
Image source: amazon.com
#19 Gisele Bundchen’s H&M Ad Campaign Censored For Middle East
#20 Madonna – Hard Candy
Image source: amazon.com
#21 Toni Braxton – More Than A Woman
Image source: amazon.com
#22 Mariah Carey – The Art Of Letting Go
Image source: Mariah Carey
#23 Kylie Minogue – Light Years
Image source: amazon.com, eil.com
#24 Geri Halliwell – Scream If You Wanna Go Faster
Image source: amazon.com, discogs.com
#25 Jennifer Lopez – On The 6
Image source: amazon.com, moaksey
#26 Melanie B – Hot
Image source: amazon.com, discogs.com
#27 Shakira – Shakira
Image source: amazon.com
#28 Mariah Carey – #1’s
Image source: discogs.com, discogs.com
#29 Back Cover Of Taylor Swift’s ‘Speak Now’
Image source: amazon.com, Susie of Arabia
#30 Gloria Estefan – Abriendo Puertas
Image source: amazon.com, discogs.com
#31 Mariah Carey – Glitter
Image source: amazon.com
#32 Katy Perry – One Of The Boys
Image source: amazon.com
#33 Toni Braxton – The Heat
Image source: amazon.com
#34 Clarks Ad In Kuwait On The Left (It Is Allowed To Show Knees And Women Without A Headscarf) And In Saudi Arabia On The Right (It’s Not Allowed)
Image source: harpers.org
#35 Sex Pistols – Flogging A Dead Horse
#36 Britney Spears – Circus
Image source: amazon.com, susiesbigadventure.blogspot.lt
#37 Mariah Carey – Mariah Carey
#38 Shakira – Laundry Service
Image source: amazon.com, discogs.com
#39 Mariah Carey – Rainbow
Image source: amazon.com
#40 Rihanna – Unapologetic
Image source: amazon.com, hotMCfan
#41 Britney Spears – Britney
Image source: discogs.com, zurbi
#42 This Huge Advertisement With Blurred Woman’s Face In A Mall Of Jeddah
Image source: susieofarabia.blogspot.lt
#43 Shakira – She Wolf
Image source: amazon.com, discogs.com
#44 Censored Marie Claire Magazine In Saudi Arabia
Image source: educationincultureshock.blogspot.lt
#45 Solid Harmonie – I’ll Be There For You
#46 Tlc – Unpretty
Image source: amazon.com
#47 Demi Lovato – Demi
Image source: amazon.com, abi
#48 Mariah Carey – Emotions
#49 Hasna – Bamba
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