Amazon removed more than a dozen products depicting references to Mohammed and Quranic verses after the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) complained they were offensive to Muslims.
The products included doormats and bathmats that sported calligraphy from the Quran, some of which mention Mohammed. CAIR complained that the products were offensive because they “would be stepped-on or otherwise disrespected by customers.” Amazon confirmed that the products would be removed. (RELATED: Tlaib Denies Reports That She Was Sworn In On Thomas Jefferson’s Quran)
“All sellers must follow our selling guidelines and those who do not will be subject to action including potential removal of their account. The products in question are being removed from our store,” an Amazon spokesperson told CNN.
Amazon’s sales guidelines forbid products that “promote or glorify hatred, violence, racial, sexual or religious intolerance.”
CAIR applauded Amazon’s decision to remove the products on January 4.
“We thank Amazon for its swift action on this issue and hope it sends a message to manufacturers of such inappropriate and offensive items that they will not profit from Islamophobia or any other form of bigotry,” Masih Fouladi, executive director of CAIR’s Washington state chapter, said in a statement.
CAIR representatives said that they have, however, received additional complaints that products deemed offensive to Islam remain on Amazon including toilet seat covers featuring Quranic verses.
@amazon. Please remove these products. As a bath mat or a mouse pad it is very direspective to use it as its the revered name of God for Muslims and the Prophet. The vendor changes their name and keeps reposting these items.
Thank you. #respectreligions#Disrespectful pic.twitter.com/xe7BWJr8LE— AJ (@AyniHaloosh) January 7, 2019
“My gut feeling is that at least for the bath mats, shower curtains, and stuff like that, it’s these companies just slapping these designs on everything without even thinking about it,” said CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper. “But there are others crossing the line into intentional Islamophobia. Some of the companies have things like toilet seats. I mean come on, why else would you do that?”
Amazon’s response to CAIR’s complaint, however, raises the question of whether the company will remove any product considered offensive by any religion, like t-shirts depicting Jesus as gay or atheist texts that overtly denounce all religions as false and harmful.
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