Post backlash on mosque photograph, Selena Gomez removes it

Pop star Selena Gomez's photograph featuring her lifting her skirt to expose the lower half of one of her legs at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi had to be removed from a social networking website after the "Come and Get It" hitmaker began facing a backlash.

Gomez rang in the New Year in UAE with her friends Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner, Shay Mitchell and more.

In a photograph, which Gomez posted on Instagram, the pop star and the group were seen posing together at the Abu Dhabi Grand Mosque, with the singer flashing her ankle, reports eonline.com.

Additionally, the gang also raised some eyebrows for a photograph which was posted on not only Gomez' but also Jenner's Instagram page, in which the group is making silly faces and joking around in the place of worship, with the former Disney star flashing her ankle once again.

Bieber's ex has yet to respond to the backlash, but she has simply removed the photograph without providing any further comment.

This isn't the first time that a celebrity has stirred up controversy at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, one of the UAE's capital's biggest tourist attractions.

Last year, Rihanna found herself in hot water after she took a series of photos at the mosque in an area that's normally off limits for visitors. The impromptu photo shoot violated the rules on the "sanctity of the mosque," causing the popstar and her entourage to be asked to leave the compound entirely.