H&M Recalls Lego-Themed Socks After Customers Spot ‘Allah’ in Design
Swedish clothing giant H&M was forced to remove a range of children’s socks from its stores after receiving complaints that part of a design featuring a Lego man with a jackhammer allegedly resembled Arabic script for “Allah.”
A pair of socks caused a stir after several customers complained the print featuring a Lego figure resembled the Arabic word for “Allah,” if viewed upside down, Swedish media reports.
The pattern in fact depicts a Lego figure with a jackhammer, apparently conducting road maintenance. The retailer insists it was “entirely a coincidence” and not a hidden message, according to a statement cited by Dagens Nyheter. H&M nevertheless chose to “remove the products,” given the public reaction.
So you didn't learn a thing, @hm. You should have answered "No, it really doesn't look like 'Allah' in arabic even if upside down" and just continue to sell the socks...
— Herclueless (@Herclueless) January 27, 2018
https://t.co/MmuZeV24Ol
The incident comes just weeks after H&M came under fire for its ad featuring a black child in a sweatshirt with the words: “Coolest monkey in the jungle.” The ad sparked an international backlash and accusations of “racism.” Some critics even said they would boycott the brand. H&M stores across South Africa were shuttered after they were targeted by protesters.
Anti-racism group trashes H&M stores over children’s ad controversy https://t.co/h2BSLEKRYV pic.twitter.com/2Odn2f2v45
— RT (@RT_com) January 13, 2018
In response to the condemnation, H&M hired “a global leader” to address “diversity and inclusiveness.”
