World

Amazon sparks outrage by selling Islamophobic costumes for Halloween

The outfits left customers infuriated

News Desk October 07, 2016

A box from Amazon.com is pictured on the porch of a house in Golden, Colorado in this file photo dated July 23, 2008. REUTERS.

Amazon has sparked outrage after selling “racist” and Islamaphobic costumes modelled by “blackened up” men for Halloween.

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Customers were outraged to see the online retail giant offer male customers the chance to dress up in an “Arab” tunic and headdress, with a “Palestine” scarf, which was modelled by a white man covered in brown paint; and a costume for women, which was advertised as a “sexy Saudi burka Islamic costume”.

PHOTO: MAIL ONLINE

PHOTO: MAIL ONLINE

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Many branded the costumes “racist”. One user commented, Whoever you are fear Allah. It's not a joke.” Amazon UK responded to the comments and has now removed the “sexy Burka” costume. A spokesperson for the online retailer said, “All Marketplace sellers must follow our selling guidelines and those who don't will be subject to action including potential removal of their account. The product in question is no longer available.”

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Last year Amazon was urged by the civil rights organisation American-Arab Anti-Discrimination (ADC) to stop marketing Arab costumes as “terrorist costumes” on its website after a “terrorist Osama bin Laden mask” was sold on the website for Halloween. Among other items, Amazon had also put up a “fake dynamite” and a variety of beards under the description of “terrorist costumes.” US retailer Walmart also came under fire for selling a large prosthetic nose, described in its online Halloween store as “perfect for an Arab Sheikh.”

This article originally appeared on Mail Online.

COMMENTS (1)

Malik Saab | 8 years ago | Reply Another day. Another so called outrage by us. Anyway the first dress is Arabic, not Islamic. Even Arabic Christians wear that dress. Kindly do not confuse Arabic dress with Islamic dress. Also kindly read how Amazon works. I am a seller there. Amazon has millions of products and they cannot give verdict on each and every textile product design. This is not how Amazon works. This is just sensational news and nothing else. All I know that Muslims in general are isolating ourself by usual outbursts of outrage time and again. Sometimes in outrage we are killing each other and at other times we are just becoming a laughing stock. This outrage concept is getting too much.

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