Lego My Freedom of Speech!
Dateline: Billund, Denmark
It seems that all of Denmark is in an uproar over the controversial Mohammed cartoons that recently appeared in a Danish newspaper. Boycotts of Danish products in the Middle East and Indonesia have hurt sales of cheese, chocolate, pastries, anything that’s identifiable as traditionally Danish. Even the most innocuous of toys, Legos, are under a fatwa. Here in the United States, Lego has moved with the times, securing merchandising licenses from popular movie franchises such as Star Wars and Harry Potter. Visitors to www.lego.com can log in and custom build playsets, upload them to the company store’s website, and have them assembled and shipped. Now, in what’s surely the most audacious move for the toymaker, Lego has decided to reach out to the people who are currently burning the Danish flag and storming the embassies. Lego announced plans to immediately unveil a separate line of Legos aimed squarely at the Islamic market. The new line will feature playsets where children can build famous sites such as the Kaaba, the black stone in Medina that is the site of the annual pilgrimage for faithful Muslims the world over. Also included in the lineup is a playset featuring the Dome of the Rock, and the Mosque of the Prophet which contains the remains of Mohammed. The playsets will not feature the iconic Lego people, with yellow cylindrical heads and square bodies, as Lego’s Islamic consultants advised that their inclusion could violate a ban on idolatry, especially within the context of Islamic holy sites. “We hope this will help the situation in the Middle Eastern countries where Denmark is considered a bad word,” said Lego CEO, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen. “We want to show that Lego is an agile, up to date company. Plus,” he added, “the Kabaa set was really easy to make. It’s basically one giant black brick”.
No Muslim leaders could be reached for comment.
It seems that all of Denmark is in an uproar over the controversial Mohammed cartoons that recently appeared in a Danish newspaper. Boycotts of Danish products in the Middle East and Indonesia have hurt sales of cheese, chocolate, pastries, anything that’s identifiable as traditionally Danish. Even the most innocuous of toys, Legos, are under a fatwa. Here in the United States, Lego has moved with the times, securing merchandising licenses from popular movie franchises such as Star Wars and Harry Potter. Visitors to www.lego.com can log in and custom build playsets, upload them to the company store’s website, and have them assembled and shipped. Now, in what’s surely the most audacious move for the toymaker, Lego has decided to reach out to the people who are currently burning the Danish flag and storming the embassies. Lego announced plans to immediately unveil a separate line of Legos aimed squarely at the Islamic market. The new line will feature playsets where children can build famous sites such as the Kaaba, the black stone in Medina that is the site of the annual pilgrimage for faithful Muslims the world over. Also included in the lineup is a playset featuring the Dome of the Rock, and the Mosque of the Prophet which contains the remains of Mohammed. The playsets will not feature the iconic Lego people, with yellow cylindrical heads and square bodies, as Lego’s Islamic consultants advised that their inclusion could violate a ban on idolatry, especially within the context of Islamic holy sites. “We hope this will help the situation in the Middle Eastern countries where Denmark is considered a bad word,” said Lego CEO, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen. “We want to show that Lego is an agile, up to date company. Plus,” he added, “the Kabaa set was really easy to make. It’s basically one giant black brick”.
No Muslim leaders could be reached for comment.
My first spam-commenter! Hurrah! Thank you Jesus!
Posted by
Aaron |
7:12 AM