“Islam is the Light”?
Mattel insists the doll does not say “Islam is the Light,” and thus, even though numerous complaints have been lodged, will keep it on the shelf. Judge for yourself (above) what it says. One wonders, however, what Mattel would have done if a number of Muslims complained saying their “Baby-Coo” doll, in between gibberish, manages to sneak in something of a “Christ is Lord”? Would Mattel have responded similarly? More on this story.
“Mattel says talking doll doesn’t promote Islam,” by Christina Hernandez for NewsDay, October, 9:
A cooing baby doll or a toy with a religious message?
The toy company Mattel has fielded calls from consumers who wonder whether their Little Mommy Cuddle ‘n Coo doll, which giggles, gurgles and coos, is also mumbling, “Islam is the light.”
The doll, which is made in China, has only one scripted word – “mama” – and other sounds are merely baby babble, said Mattel spokeswoman Sara Rosales. The toy, which retails for $19.99 and is meant for ages 2 and up, makes one sound that “may resemble something close to the word ‘night,’ ‘right’ or ‘light,'” she added.
Word of the doll’s alleged proselytizing gained momentum this week after local TV news stations picked up the story and YouTube showed videos of the chatty toy child.
The doll, sold across the country, will not be recalled, Rosales said yesterday. “We remain confident in the standard of our dolls,” she said.
Target, which sells the doll, has also received complaints, said spokeswoman Leah Guimond. But, she said, “we’re keeping it on our shelves.”
It would “not make sense” for a mainstream toy company to produce a doll with a religious message, said Azeem Khan of the Islamic Circle of North America, a national grassroots group in Queens. “Whenever Islam comes up in the public sphere, it’s a controversy,” he said.