Amazon stopped selling bath mats and doormats featuring Quran scripture after a complaint they were offensive to Muslims

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Amazon stopped selling bath mats and doormats featuring Quran scripture after a complaint they were offensive to Muslims

CAIR offensive products

CAIR

CAIR flagged up several products, including bathmats and doormats.

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  • Amazon removed a number of bathmats and doormats featuring Islamic scripture from its site after a complaint from The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
  • CAIR said the mats were offensive because the holy writings would be "stepped-on or otherwise disrespected by customers."
  • Since Amazon removed the mats, a CAIR spokesman told CNN that more complaints have come in about similar products, including toilet covers.

Amazon has removed multiple products featuring verses from the Quran after a complaint from a Muslim civil liberties union.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) released a statement on Thursday asking Amazon to remove doormats and bath mats printed with Islamic scripture. CAIR said the mats were offensive because they would be "stepped-on or otherwise disrespected by customers."

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Amazon removed the products which were available through third-party seller, Emvency, and CAIR welcomed the decision on Friday.

An Amazon spokesman confirmed the products' removal to Business Insider, adding: "All sellers must follow our selling guidelines and those who do not will be subject to action including potential removal of their account."

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Read more: Amazon removed a bunch of products featuring Nazi and white supremacist insignia from its site

CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper told CNN that since the press release went out, CAIR has received more complaints about similar products on Amazon, including toilet covers.

Hooper said in some instances, he didn't believe the use of Quranic verse was malicious.

"My gut feeling is that at least for the bath mats, shower curtains, and stuff like that, it's these companies just slapping these designs on everything without even thinking about it," he told CNN.

"But there are others crossing the line into intentional Islamophobia. Some of the companies have things like toilet seats. I mean come on, why else would you do that?"

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