Religious Leaders in Senegal Say Rihanna Is Illuminati, Don't Want Her in the Country

You'd think most countries would be jazzed if Rihanna graced them with her queenly presence, but that's apparently not always the case.

Some people in Senegal are not happy about Rihanna’s visit on Friday. As the Guardian reports, an association of some 30 Islamic groups called No to Freemasonry and Homosexuality have asked the Senegalese government to cancel the singer's visit to the west African nation. According to them, Rihanna is guilty of colluding with the Illuminati to promote homosexuality. “Rihanna doesn’t hide it: she’s part of the Illuminati, a branch of Freemasons,” said spokesperson Cheikh Oumar Diagne. Talk about zero chill. Looks like someone’s been spending a little too much time on Reddit.

As ambassador for the Global Partnership for Education, Rihanna will be attending a conference, provided she’s allowed to enter the country, which she probably will, because wtf. French president, Emmanuel Macron, will also be in attendance. The Global Partnership for Education is an organization that seeks to fund education for underprivileged children in 65 countries. Given the admirable cause behind Rihanna's visit, the outcry among Senegal’s religious leaders seems that much more odd. Diagne also alleges that Rihanna had scheduled her visit to overlap with a Freemason’s conference that was to take place on the same dates.

Anyway, the IRL conference will be hosted by the Senegalese president, Macky Sall, in partnership with Macron. The country's interior minister, Aly Ngouille Ndiaye, has promised to ensure the safety of all those in attendance. “We’re hoping that the conference marks the moment that momentum shifts globally on education and education funding,” said former Australian prime minister and GPE board chair, Julia Gillard. “Over the last few years, there’s been growing global interest in education, particularly girls’ education, but financing hasn’t yet followed. We need a step change.”