Inquirer Editorial: 'Material Girl' shows she has substance, too

Not everybody likes Madonna. But one reason the controversial Queen of Pop continues to be popular around the world is her compelling embrace of individual freedom.

In Moscow Tuesday, Madonna urged authorities to free the three women in the punk-rock band Pussy Riot, who were arrested for staging a protest in an Orthodox church against Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Maria Alyokhina, 24, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 29, could face up to three years in prison for storming the altar and belting out a "punk prayer" calling on the Virgin Mary to rid Russia of Putin.

"I pray for their freedom", Madonna said to a cheering crowd at Olympiysky Stadium. "Obviously, I believe in freedom of speech, and I'm against censorship, so I hope that the judge is lenient with them and that they are freed soon." The pop star then stripped to her bra to show the band's name written on her back.

Certainly, to many people, religious or otherwise, the band's outburst in a church seemed disrespectful. But their transgression didn't deserve the five months in prison the women have already served, not to mention any additional time being contemplated.

Their protest inside a church demonstrated just how deep the women's despair must be to live in a country that, technically, is a democracy, but in reality doesn't allow individual rights.

Putin has corrupted the concept of democracy, keeping everything, and everyone, in Russia under his control.

Pussy Riot was right to protest his dictatorship, and Madonna was right to back the band.