Los Angeles, Feb 26 (IANS): Singer Katy Perry has upset Muslims by using "blasphemous" imagery in the music video of her new hit "Dark Horse".

In the promo, she is seen as an Egyptian queen who has the power to zap her subjects with lightning and turn them into sand, and she offends Muslims by killing a man wearing a pendant reading god (Allah) in Arabic. The jewellery item is also zapped.

Members of the Muslim community have criticised the video, calling it blasphemous. They demand its removal from video-sharing site YouTube, reports contactmusic.com.

One of those offended by the imagery has launched a petition on Change.org, which reads: "This petition is lodged In (sic) regards to Katy Perry's music video 'Dark Horse'... The video is considered as highly controversial to its viewers as a result of its portrayal of blasphemy.

"At 01:15 (minutes) into the video Dark Horse; a man is shown being burned, whilst wearing a pendant (also burned) forming the word Allah, which is the arabic (sic) word for god. Such goes to show, that blasphemy is clearly conveyed in the video, since Katy Perry (who appears to be representing an opposition of god) engulfs the believer and the word God in flames.

"This is the reason for lodging the petition so that people from different walks of life, different religions and from different parts of the world, agree that the video promotes blasphemy (sic). Using the name of God in an irrelevant and distasteful manner would be considered inappropriate by any religion."