Madonna has explained why she chose to use an image of a Swastika during her MDNA world tour.

The iconic singer has landed herself in hot water with the use of the Nazi assosciated symbol, with French political party Front National taking out a lawsuit against her after the image was used at a Paris gig recently.

Asked by Brazilian TV station Globo what she means with the imagery, Madonna replied that it is about, "The intolerance that we human beings have for one another."

Adding: "And how much we judge people before knowing them. That's why it's done in the song 'Nobody Knows Me'."

Meanwhile, Madonna hit the headlines recently when she claimed that she played a large part in helping Lady Gaga write her hit single 'Born This Way'.

Below: Madonna, live in Hyde Park