Emily Ratajkowski sparked a wave of criticism online after sharing a post that combined two very different images. First came a short video of her dancing, followed by a photo taken inside a mosque where she appeared wearing a hijab.
The post was captioned “New York Mamdani,” a phrase that immediately drew attention. Many viewers focused on the contrast between the dance clip and the religious setting shown in the next slide, saying the pairing crossed a line.
Commenters quickly identified the location in the second image as the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, one of the most important religious sites for Muslims. Several users wrote that posing there for social media content felt disrespectful, especially when placed next to a provocative video.
Some reactions were blunt. Others were more personal. One commenter said they were not religious but still felt the image showed a lack of basic respect. Another pointed out that personal freedom does not cancel out the need to treat sacred spaces carefully. The criticism kept coming, with many calling the post unnecessary and offensive.
Ratajkowski has not responded publicly to the backlash.
The caption itself also fueled discussion. “New York Mamdani” was widely interpreted as a reference to Zohran Mamdani, the first Muslim mayor of New York City, whom Ratajkowski has supported in the past. That connection led some users to see the post as mixing political messaging with religious imagery.
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In recent years, Ratajkowski has been open about her political views online. She previously voiced support for Bernie Sanders during the 2016 and 2020 election cycles, often using her platform to comment on social and political issues.
This time, however, the reaction centered less on politics and more on context. The combination of content, rather than any single image, is what appeared to upset people the most — and it left many questioning why the two were presented together.
