Lowe's pulls ads from TV show about US Muslims

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

http://news.yahoo.com/lowes-pulls-ads-tv-show-us-muslims-011436509.html

By CHRISTOPHER WEBER | AP – 27 mins ago

LOS ANGELES (AP) — 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, Michigan, 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," Democratic Sen. Ted Lieu 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. A call to Lowe's Cos. headquarters seeking comment was not immediately returned Sunday.

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.

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.

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.

[웃 910]

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Lowes has already heard from me that they've lost our business. The show is as inane and stupid as most reality shows, but it deserves to air more than the ones where idiots just get drunk, sleep around or do nakkid yoga.

[sara..... 371]

so wait let me get this straight does the statement "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."from the company mean that if there is a show the promotes Christianity they will re-frame from putting their advertising on that show?......or if its a how about Jews, Hindu, or any other religion besides Islam?

sara

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

I could be wrong, but the people in this country that are worried about a Muslim problem here have Western Europe and it's recent troubles with it's Muslim population in mind. I could be wrong though....

[Sofiyya 1,687]

I could be wrong, but the people in this country that are worried about a Muslim problem here have Western Europe and it's recent troubles with it's Muslim population in mind. I could be wrong though....

Right now, there is no problem, but, if bigots want a problem badly enough, they'll create it.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Right now, there is no problem, but, if bigots want a problem badly enough, they'll create it.

Call me crazy, but the last thing this country needs is a bunch of 9th century whack jobs wanting to off one of our cartoonist and/or authors for whatever reasons.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Call me crazy, but the last thing this country needs is a bunch of 9th century whack jobs wanting to off one of our cartoonist and/or authors for whatever reasons.

Muslims aren't the problem. The nutjobs who hate us are. They're out for a fight and they'll do anything to start one.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Muslims aren't the problem. The nutjobs who hate us are. They're out for a fight and they'll do anything to start one.

Ya I'm sure that cartoonist in Denmark is saying the same thing along with Salman Rushdie, the Dutch movie producer that got whacked and god only knows how many others including the prime minister of Sweden when she got knifed and killed. I mean it's not like either you or myself have our heads stuck in the sand. We both know what's happened over in Western Europe due to the influx of Muslims, and a lot of people here including myself aren't down for any of that ####### happening over here.

NFL, modern secular stuff, regular santa clause for christmas, hollywood, nascar... whatever...throw in frosty and rudolph in that group. I'm not down for a "new look America". Let someone else deal with that 9th century wingnut stuff. This country is still recovering from the heavy dose of religion it got with our forefathers.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Ya I'm sure that cartoonist in Denmark is saying the same thing along with Salman Rushdie, the Dutch movie producer that got whacked and god only knows how many others including the prime minister of Sweden when she got knifed and killed. I mean it's not like either you or myself have our heads stuck in the sand. We both know what's happened over in Western Europe due to the influx of Muslims, and a lot of people here including myself aren't down for any of that ####### happening over here.

NFL, modern secular stuff, regular santa clause for christmas, hollywood, nascar... whatever...throw in frosty and rudolph in that group. I'm not down for a "new look America". Let someone else deal with that 9th century wingnut stuff. This country is still recovering from the heavy dose of religion it got with our forefathers.

If I was going to be afraid of a group of people because of the damage they do that affects me, it should be young, drunken non-Muslim males, coz, where I live, those are the folk who cause the most problems and cause the most property damage and death. That's the ####### we deal with.

[EAbbas 213]

You can't generalize everybody just because they are one religion or another. If you add the total number of muslims in the world... its more than 1.5 billion. Out of that 1.5 billion you have a sect that does indeed go against what Islam is about. Just as you have christians, jews, hindus, etc that also go against their own teaching. If muslims wanted to do harm to everybody... with 1.5 billion of them don't you think they could just do it?

Most of muslims, jews, christians are peaceful caring ppl just wanting to create a life with their families happily and help others.

So i do think this is just wrong of Lowes to pull this add when all this show is trying to do is create some knowledge instead of fear.

I agree too its much better to watch this type of show rather than some crazy reality show that goes against good values and morals.

Edited December 12, 2011 by EAbbas

[slim 1,514]

Reality TV sucks.

[Danno 1,228]

As the splintering of America progresses, these PC Corps like Lowes will find it harder and harder to land on safe ground with their forays beyond business and into social positions.

[Dakine10 5,452]

Ya I'm sure that cartoonist in Denmark is saying the same thing along with Salman Rushdie, the Dutch movie producer that got whacked and god only knows how many others including the prime minister of Sweden when she got knifed and killed. I mean it's not like either you or myself have our heads stuck in the sand. We both know what's happened over in Western Europe due to the influx of Muslims, and a lot of people here including myself aren't down for any of that ####### happening over here.

NFL, modern secular stuff, regular santa clause for christmas, hollywood, nascar... whatever...throw in frosty and rudolph in that group. I'm not down for a "new look America". Let someone else deal with that 9th century wingnut stuff. This country is still recovering from the heavy dose of religion it got with our forefathers.

You should be just as scared of groups like the Florida Family Association, Kip. Once they run out of "Muslims" to complain about, they are going to find something else.

[Danno 1,228]

You should be just as scared of groups like the Florida Family Association, Kip. Once they run out of "Muslims" to complain about, they are going to find something else.

Complaining is anyones right.... sawing off heads and slitting throats gets to be a bit much.