Saudi officials have ordered the arrest of a female rapper who appeared in a music video for her song Bint Mecca, or Girl from Mecca, stating that it is offensive to the customs and traditions of the holy city.
In the video, a Saudi woman identified as Ayasel Slay raps about her pride in being from Mecca, home to the holiest site in Islam, the Kaaba.
The video was uploaded to Ayasel's YouTube channel - which has since been removed - last week and featured her rapping in a cafe with a group of smiling children as her backup dancers.
"A Mecca girl is all you need/Don't upset her, she will hurt you," sang Ayasel, describing how a woman from Mecca exceeded all other Saudi women in beauty and strength.
"With her, you can complete the Sunna [get married]/Your life with her will become Paradise," she asserts proudly.
On Thursday, Mecca regional authorities said in a Tweet that the governor had issued orders that Ayasel and the video production team be prosecuted.
"Prince Khalid bin Faisal of Mecca has ordered the arrest of those responsible for the Bint Mecca rap song, which offends the customs and traditions of the people of Mecca and contradicts the identity and traditions of its esteemed population," the tweet said.
Social media storm
The song has attracted strong reactions from social media, with racial undertones used in the hashtag #You_Are_Not_Mecca's_Girls directed at Ayasel's African origins.
"Enough of this depravity," one user said, referring to the video. "I hope the punishment for this African woman will be imprisonment then deporting her back to her country."
"Immediate deportation is the answer, in addition to holding every foreigner who claims to be from Mecca accountable," one user said.
"Including all Somalis living here," another replied in agreement.
Others spoke out against these comments.
"If anything needs to be deported, it is your racism, your arrogance, and your deep reverence for yourselves," one Twitter user retorted.
#لستن_بنات_مكهَ
— Hamza
She was covered, she didn't say anything offensive. Their problem with her is that she is black, they don't want to be represented by a black Saudi. If a white Arab person from another Arab country claimed to be from Hijaz they would clapping.
