Paris Hilton Store Causing A Stir In Mecca

Paris Hilton has opened an outlet of her store in Saudi Arabia’s Holy City of Mecca, setting off outrage in the city and on social media.

Critics contend that the Holy City is not the best location for the socialite and sex tape star Paris Hilton, The Huffington Post reported. The main point of contention appeared to be Hilton herself, and her racy past that includes drug use and sexualized images.

“Wahhabis at work! Historic religious sites in Medina are being destroyed, while Paris Hilton opens a new store in Mecca mall,” tweeted one respondent.

“So Paris Hilton opened a handbag store in MECCA? The world is a corrupt place at the moment. Someone please send me to Mars,” another tweeted.

The store in Mecca would actually be the fifth in Saudi Arabia for Paris Hilton. She claims that the stores, which sell specialty handbags and accessories, represents her efforts as an entrepreneur rather than reflecting on her hard-partying past.

“I’m involved in my products every step of the way. My fragrances are doing really well at the moment,” Hilton told FHM last January. “They’ve produced more than $1.3 billion in revenue since 2005.”

Paris Hilton said she plans even more expansion for the Middle East, despite the protests in Mecca.

“I have 35 stores and 17 product lines,” she said. “And then there’s my racing team, my 14 fragrances and my new project, the Paris Hilton Beach Club chain. The first one is opening in the Philippines soon. It’s going to have nightclubs, restaurants, bars, gyms. Everything really.”

But many in Mecca have a hard time separating the socialite Paris Hilton from the businesswoman. Just this summer, for example, she posed nude in an issue of GQ Russia.