Kanye West is slammed for ‘making a mockery’ of Islam after naming latest model of his £180 Yeezy trainers after the Islamic angels of judgement and death
- Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Israfil and Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Asriel have been slammed
- Social media users have called them ‘insulting’ and demanded an apology
- Row follows accusations of cultural appropriation over Kim Kardashian’s Kimono
- Fall-out saw the star rename the clothing line six days after it was launched
Kanye West has been slammed for ‘making a mockery’ of Islam after naming his new £180 trainers after the Islamic angels of judgement and death.
The Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Israfil is already being stocked by Adidas, while the Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Asriel is expected to be released next month.
Social media users have taken aim at the former artist and sports company, accusing them of making an ‘extremely hurtful insult’ for the naming which they ‘must make amends for’.
The row follows accusations of cultural appropriation against Kim Kardashian last year – which forced her to announce she would change the name of her skin-tight ‘kimono’ suits just six days after they were released.
Kimono’s are a long and loose traditional Japanese robe, which are worn by women.
The Yeezy shoes have faced backlash on social media, with angry shoppers accusing Adidas of ‘making a mockery’ of Islam and demanding that they change the name
The Asriel shoes have also been criticised, although they aren’t to be released until September
Kanye West is ‘pushing the boundaries’ of sneaker design with his Yeezy shoes, says Adidas. He is pictured with Kim Kardashian who was slammed in a cultural appropriation row last year over her skin tight brand Kimonos – which were named after traditional Japanese clothes
Social media users are calling for the shoes names to be immediately changed, an apology, and for Adidas to review how it names footwear.
One enraged shopper criticised the trainer’s on Twitter, writing: ‘Angels, are considered to be blessed creatures of God in Islam as well as other religious.
‘For Adidas to associate what Muslims believe as being such blessed creatures with shoes is an extremely, hurtful insult which they must take amends for.
‘It is not acceptable to make a mockery out of the beliefs of others. Even if it were to be a mistake, it would be considered extremely heedless to allow such a blunder.’
A second added: ‘Horrible name choice for a shoe. Israfil is one of the four archangels in Islam. Adidas – you should have done your homework. Not too late to fix this.’
And a third said: ‘(Israfil) is an angel held in high regard in the Islamic faith and we as Muslims demand you change the name.
‘It is highly offensive to the status of this mighty angel.’
Another user added: ‘Enjoy the backlash and outrage huns @kanyewest @theyeezymafia @adidas. This is disgraceful. Shame on you.
Israfil is one of four archangels in Islam. He is usually depicted with a horn, which he will blow on Qiyamah – or the day of judgement.
Asriel is Islam’s angel of death, and is said to transport the souls of the deceased to the afterlife.
Kim Kardashian announced last year that she is changing the name of her Kimono Solutionwwear following fierce backlash. She is yet to reveal the new name
Many felt Kim’s trademarked Kimono brand disrespected the traditional 15th century kimono clothing (a Japanese kimono pictured right)
Yeezy is a popular brand of shoe sold by Adidas originals. The sportswear company says online: ‘Chicago-native Kanye West broke new ground in 2015 when he delved into the worlds of fashion and sneakers.
‘Staples such as the Yeezy 350, Yeezy 500 and Yeezy 700 have become cult favourites, as West continues to push the boundaries of sneaker design.’
MailOnline has contacted Adidas for comment.