Thursday, March 30, 2006

Adverts Banned Because The Word "Muslim" Offends Muslims

You really couldn't make this stuff up :

Posters with the phrase "America's latest hero is a Muslim straight out of jail" has been banned from the Tube by London Underground (LU).

LU said it will not show the posters from a £1m advertising campaign for new TV series Sleeper Cell until creators remove the word Muslim from the text.

It claims it will offend people and it is trying to be sensationalist.

A spokesman for the digital channel FX series said it had consulted with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

He said the poster was meant to sum up the show's plot and would still appear in newspapers.

"It is in no way intended to cause offence or upset to Muslims," the FX spokesman said.

"We ran the creative by the ASA who advised us we were not in breach of the British Code of Advertising so it has come as a real surprise that the London underground have refused to run it."

The channel described the show, starring Michael Ealy as FBI agent Darwyn Al Sayeed, as the first American drama to feature a Muslim as the lead heroic character.

The character poses as a prisoner in order to infiltrate a fundamentalist group.

An LU spokeswoman said: "Following consultation with Viacom, who manage advertising on the Tube, it was decided to ask for the words 'is a Muslim' to be removed.

"This decision was taken in line with our standard policies, which seek to avoid gratuitously insulting large groups of Londoners."

An ASA spokesman said: "If London Underground wants to do this, it is entirely at its discretion."
Link...

This link directs to the official "Sleeper Cell" page and contains a brief clip. This link gives a short description of the program.

9 comments:

Jason Pappas said...

What an admission! Calling someone a Muslim is an insult?

Sony refused to distribute the Albert Brookes movie “Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World” in part because of the word Muslim in the title. All the PC-crap about “the religion of peace” and “it’s only a few” seems to have backfired.

Typically, when this happens the demographic group in question invents a euphemism that becomes the new PC handle. Let’s see, Mohammedan was scrapped. Moslem is only an old variant of Muslim. Bedouin is too narrow. Let me think … (thinking) … how about Moonie?

Pastorius said...

How about "Rationality-challenged"?

Mark said...

Isn't this just PATHETIC?

Jason, Muhammadan was a far more accurate name for them anyway. They are Muhammadans, because they worship Muhammad. They are to love him with all their hearts and bodies and souls.

Epaminondas said...

Forget the word muslim .. use ... "follower of unknown 7th century proto-satanic sect with pedophile as leader, which believes murder for fuzzy reasons get you laid 72 times a day later on, while loaded, and gets upset when lampooned"

Who could complain then?

Jason Pappas said...

LOL. Good ones!

OK, how about the "people formerly know as Muslims." Perhaps a variation on jonz' idea.

I actually agree with Mark and I would use the word Mohammadan if I didn't have to keep explaining what I was talking about. Notice on my website I use Mohammad instead of the PC Muhammad. Sometimes I just say Mo ... after all he was human as they (people formely known as Muslims) claim.

Pastorius said...

Jason, I hate the PC spelling of Mo's name as well. In fact, that's why I refuse to learn how to spell the koran the correct way. I know it's got a q in it, like quim, but I'm not sure how the q fits in there.

Please, nobody help me out.

Kiddo said...

Rofl.....great comments and great post of yet another insult to Muslims. Will the stories never end? Actually, I hope not. I just posted about how upset Albanian Muslims are over a planned statue of Mother Theresa. Yep, you read that right. Mohammedans. I use it too, when I can, but I also have switched to Mo instead of Mu. But I do also like al Reuters.

Always On Watch said...

I can think of plenty of alternative names. I won't go into them. I'm such a lady. LOL.

Anonymous said...

well..they dont eat pig..corect ?
then..how about..."those that refuse to eat their brothers" ? (but we do eat their brothers..that makes us canibals ?...oo...I'm in confusion..eating pigs did not mean we are canibals)...