Afternoon:
14°c
Religious groups' fury at Osama bin Lego toy
Anna Davis04.12.08
A range of children's toy figures which includes an al Qaeda terrorist and a Nazi major has outraged religious leaders.
The two-inch toy terrorist comes with a rocket launcher, two guns and eight grenades and a head scarf to cover his identity.
The figures, costing £9.50, are by US toy manufacturer BrickArms which customises military-themed toys from Lego pieces.
The latest range also includes the Nazi officer, which has SS insignias and a stormtrooper with grenade launchers.
Religious groups today hit out at the range. Mohammed Shaffiq, chief executive of Muslim youth organisation the Ramadhan Foundation, said: "It is glorifying terrorism - the makers should be ashamed.
"We should be coming together to unite against terrorism but how is that possible with children playing with toys like this?"
Edie Friedman, director of the Jewish Council for Racial Equality, said: "These distasteful toys are something we could all do without."
A spokesman for Lego said: "Lego UK is not associated with the toys being sold by BrickArms, which have been customised without Lego UK's knowledge or permission.
"BrickArms is not licensed by Lego UK to customise Lego figures and has no links to the Lego brand.
"Lego UK is committed to developing toys which enrich childhood by encouraging imaginative and creative play - and does not endorse products that do not fit with this philosophy."
Reader views (12)
As Raminder Bhalla, Northolt said, isn't it the wrong colour?
- Frank, Home Counties, England
The toy looks abit Jaundice, does anyone out there know if osama Bin Laden has the liver disease?
- Raminder Bhalla, Northolt
Right on Kev
I ordered the "terrorist" and the "SS Major"
Thanks for the heads up ES
- Steve, london
How long will it be before we have rampaging Islamic mobs in capitals around the world calling for "Death to BrickArms" and burning effergies and flags of UK, USA & Israel?
- Adam, Harrow, UK
Excuse me? I looked at the photo of the lego terrorist and thought to myself ‘what is Islamic about that? What has it got to do with terrorism? Is this actually just an armed thief?’ Muslims can only take personal offence if THEY associate Islam with terrorism. I have even checked the website selling the figurine: it is marketed purely as a headscarfed bandit – called “MR WHITE”. If anyone should be offended it is white people, not Muslims.
HOWEVER…
I notice that all the news articles carrying this story also directly describe this figurine an Islamic terrorist; could this blatant misrepresentation be simply to sell news? I also notice that the quoted Muslim representatives haven’t actually associated this with Islam in any way (let alone Islamic terrorism); all they have actually said it glorifies terrorism. While their response is obviously a fallacious inference, it thankfully doesn’t cast Muslims/Islam in a bad light. Anyone who wrongly inferred this connection could possibly blame these leading articles.
- Steve, London
FAB!
- John Frum, Bracknell
Great - lets get all indignant over some toy related trivia.
- Dave Davies, Basingstoke, Hants
I know I shouldn't but I think it's quite funny.
- Isabel, woking
Disgusting, but DONT buy them. annie
- Annie, croydon
"A range of children's toy figures"
what utter nonsense!! They're a range of toy figures, that have been bought, completely changed and then sold on, presumably to adults (since you'll need a credit card to order them), and have nothing to do with LEGO themselves.
The way the story reads you'd think they were for sale in Toys R Us or something.
Some nice free publicity for brick arms though.
- Psycholist, london
Congratulations to BrickArms the makers ,Religious believers are always up in arms about something that is pointing fun at there beliefs,and it is only a belief,I think anything that pokes fun at religion is justfied,lighten up and get a life.
- Kev, London
That's hilarious. Where can I buy several?
- Rusty Shackleford, UK
