Lowe's pulls ads from TLC show about Muslims
Nader and Nawal Aoude and their baby Naseem of Dearborn, Mich., from the documentary series "All-American Muslim." / TLC
LOS ANGELES - A decision by retail giant Lowe's Home Improvement to pull ads from a reality show about American Muslims following protests from an evangelical Christian group has sparked criticism and calls for a boycott against the chain.
The retailer stopped advertising on TLC's "All-American Muslim" after a conservative group known as the Florida Family Association complained, saying the program was "propaganda that riskily hides the Islamic agenda's clear and present danger to American liberties and traditional values."
The show premiered last month and chronicles the lives of five families from Dearborn, Mich., a Detroit suburb with a large Muslim and Arab-American population.
A state senator from Southern California said he was considering calling for a boycott.
Calling the Lowe's decision "un-American" and "naked religious bigotry," Sen. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, told The Associated Press on Sunday that he would also consider legislative action if Lowe's doesn't apologize to Muslims and reinstate its ads. The senator sent a letter outlining his complaints to Lowe's Chief Executive Officer Robert A. Niblock.
"The show is about what it's like to be a Muslim in America, and it touches on the discrimination they sometimes face. And that kind of discrimination is exactly what's happening here with Lowe's," Lieu said.
The Florida group sent three emails to its members, asking them to petition Lowe's to pull its advertising. Its website was updated to say that "supporters' emails to advertisers make a difference."
Suehaila Amen, whose family is featured on "All-American Muslim," said she was disappointed by the Lowe's decision.
"I'm saddened that any place of business would succumb to bigots and people trying to perpetuate their negative views on an entire community," Amen, 32, told The Detroit News on Sunday.
Lowe's issued a statement Sunday apologizing for having "managed to make some people very unhappy."
"Individuals and groups have strong political and societal views on this topic, and this program became a lightning rod for many of those views," the statement said. "As a result we did pull our advertising on this program. We believe it is best to respectfully defer to communities, individuals and groups to discuss and consider such issues of importance."
The North Carolina-based company did not say whether it would reinstate advertising on the show.
The apology doesn't go far enough, Lieu said. The senator vowed to look into whether Lowe's violated any California laws and said he would also consider drafting a senate resolution condemning the company's actions.
"We want to raise awareness so that consumers will know during this holiday shopping season that Lowe's is engaging in religious discrimination," Lieu said.
Besides an apology and reinstatement of the ads, Lieu said he hoped Lowe's would make an outreach to the community about bias and bigotry.
Lieu's office said a decision was expected Wednesday or Thursday on whether to proceed with the boycott.
Lowe's issued another statement later Sunday, saying company officials are seeking to talk to Lieu about his concerns and clarify the company's position.
"We are aware of the senator's comments and have reached out to his office to arrange an opportunity for us to speak with him directly to hear his thoughts," the statement read.
Dawud Walid, Michigan director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said his group felt "extreme disappointment" at Lowe's "capitulation to bigotry."
Walid said he has heard expressions of anger and calls for a boycott by Muslims but said a key to resolving the Lowe's advertising controversy will be how non-Muslim religious leaders and others react to Lowe's decision.
"I will be picking up the phone tomorrow to some of our friends and allies to explain the situation to them," Walid said Sunday.
Popular in Entertainment
- Kate wears sunny yellow for palace garden party
- Watch: Jennifer Aniston has awkward "Friends" reunion
- "Dancing with the Stars" season 16 finale 21 Photos
- Bono and Olivia Wilde join Matt Damon's "toilet strike"
- Justin Bieber booed at 2013 Billboard Music Awards
- "The Voice" pays tribute to Oklahoma tornado victims
- Green, Aguilera will be back on "The Voice"
- New "Dancing with the Stars" champion announced
First of all... Lowes has every right to pull away the ads. Nothing wrong with that..
Second. I've noticed many rude comments towards Islam. I dont understand how SOME people dont even bother to actually meet a muslim person and see how happy they are as a muslim. ask yourself... why are there so many converts in Islam, [no one forced the people to convert].
I saw some previous rude comments towards muslim women about how they cant go out in public, cant speak up for themselves, ect... GUESS WHAT thats not religion, thats a culture adaptation. There are many christian women in other countries that dont have those rights as well.
Im a European Muslim Woman.. I have as many rights as any other person does. I love America, America is beautiful, but some people that live here aren't because of their foul hearts.
I feel sorry for you! I just hate when islam moves to france ar america and does those things in America!
I have a few islam friends and they have fear of talking about sharia law.
You as a Woman need to stand up a fight for real freedom.
People of Islam tell me they left the HomeLand to be free here in America. That's fine, just leave the Shria Law at home!
for all you Islam men, Love Your Wife, Love your Daughter and protect them or go back home!!!
enjoy the pics: follow the link: European01
And that Christian group is absolutely right. "All American Muslim" IS propaganda. It's stated mission is to fight "Islamaphobia" but they make a conscious decision to profile families who are not particularly devout and at the same time pointedly ignore the very large, very well-organized, very well-financed terrorist group composed of fundamentalist Muslims who have declared war on the U.S., have stated that their goal is to destroy the country and to replace our current system of government with a government run by Muslims which will impose Sharia law on all of us. By failing to be truthful in their programming, TLC has lost all credibility and any right to claims that they are telling anythinh resembling the truth in that program.
And just to be clear, I am not saying that all Muslims are terrorists. What I am talking about is the inability of liberals to admit the truth about fundamentalists Islamics and the very real threat they are to this country.
ISLAM IS THE MOST INTOLERANT FAITH ON THE PLANET!
MUSLIMS FOLLOW THE TEACHINGS OF MUHAMMAD. MUHAMMAD WAS VIOLENT. TO READ MORE ABOUT THE PRINCIPLES OF ISLAM (WHICH ARE IN DIRECT CONLFICT WITH AMERICAN VALUES), THEN GOOGLE: AMERICAN THINKER TOP 10 REASONS SHARIA IS BAD FOR ALL SOCIETIES
GOOGLE: HUMAN EVENTS SHOCKING TRUTH
...APPARENTLY SOME ACTORS OR PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE SHOW ARE TERRORIST SYMPATHIZERS!
TLC needs to show islam as it REALLY is. And that is that in Islam, Women are property. They cannot driver, read, speak out, or walk outside without another family member around. All others who do not believe in the faith of islam must be killed. No if ands or butts. If your a non - muslim you must die. It is ok to lie to any non -believer so all these mullahs can say whatever they want and it will be ok. Yes they can shake your hand and stab you in the back at the same time and probably be commended in their religion.
If a muslim woman is raped, he woman is jailed and executed for dishonering the family.
And the list goes on and on.
None of this do you see in this show. If your going to talk about muslims and islam, do it right and show it accurately. That is the problem with this show. That is why advertisers are pulling out.
GOOGLE "HUMAN EVENTS SHOCKING TRUTH" FOR MORE INFORMATION!
The problem is not the families. Its the show. Why not All american soldiers? All american people?
No instead we get a show about muslims? A show about polygamist?
I have no problem with someone coming to america and practicing whatever faith they want.
I do have a problem with a network TV station trying to make me accept or put a sugar coating on a subject that shouldn't be hidden.
It is obvious the shows motivation is to cover up the bad of Islam and I can tell you two things about this show.
This is NOT the real Islamic faith. Those people are not following sharia law and in my opinion are not the real face of muslims.
The real face is exactly how it is with no questions. Follow sharia law, accept Islam and allah or die. Plain and simple. All other faiths and their believers must be killed. Women are property and should remain uneducated, and its ok to lie to non-believers.
That is islam. To potray in a rosy soft hearted family show is not only unrealistic, its insulting. But lowes doesn't realize that by doing this they give more publicity to the show than it deserves.