Online retail giant Amazon has been urged by the civil rights organisation American-Arab Anti-Discrimination (ADC) to stop marketing Arab costumes as “terrorist costumes” on its website.
The move came soon after the organisation expressed concern over another Halloween costume carried by US retailer Walmart. The retailer described the costume, which was of a ‘Sheikh’ with a large prosthetic nose as “perfect for an Arab Sheikh”.
Walmart withdraws racist ‘Sheikh’ nose from Halloween store
PHOTO: AMAZON
One of the terrorist costumes sold on the website included a white turban and a full grey beard with elastic. While the other was called a “Terrorist Osama bin Laden mask for party video chat Halloween by Maskshow.”
The online retailer seemed to showcase a variety of masks of Osama bin Laden, including a “latex mask for a dance party.”
ADC urges Amazon to stop marketing Arab costumes as "terrorist costumes" https://t.co/PeireCKs99 @amazon @AmazonHelp pic.twitter.com/UZFm4SSwT3
— ADC National (@adctweets) October 28, 2015
PHOTO: AMAZON
Meanwhile, among other items, Amazon also put up a ‘fake dynamite’ and a variety of beards under the description of “terrorist costumes”.
Saudi actor arrested in mall for attracting ‘too much female attention
While the price of the white turban and beard varied from $12.82 – $24.38, Osama bin Laden’s costumes went up to as much as $69.20.
PHOTO: AMAZON
Soon after ADC issued a press release regarding Walmart’s controversial costumes, the retailer took down the offensive items from its website. But it was rather late as the it came under heavy criticism on social media for carrying the controversial costumes:
Breaking: Walmart Discontinues Racist Halloween Costume Sales https://t.co/P25im5Ph0s
— ADC National (@adctweets) October 28, 2015
Thanks to @ADCtweets & all the retweets, complaints, @Walmart pulled the offensive costumes! https://t.co/omZApx8czg pic.twitter.com/PdAtrraDpV
— Nadeem Muaddi (@nmuaddi) October 28, 2015
This Walmart "costume" is pretty racist. https://t.co/X6wzg7jqba Ht @ostadjaan pic.twitter.com/G378lLb7RT
— Arash Karami (@thekarami) October 27, 2015
I am a prince and I do what I want, said drugged-up Saudi royal
WHAT?! Walmart is selling an Israeli soldier Halloween costume for kids https://t.co/4wb4r1804N / #Israel #Palestine pic.twitter.com/rwXWYXcvJH
— Nadeem Muaddi (@nmuaddi) October 26, 2015
This Halloween, Walmart offers you either an Israeli soldier kid costume or an Arab sheikh hook nose costume pic.twitter.com/JtlmoS0HWp
— Ahmad Alshdefat (@ahmadalshdefat) October 27, 2015
#Walmart: Making occupying brown people fun for little ones. https://t.co/uFCH0Fpq6I
— FidaY (@ifeezie) October 26, 2015
The post Amazon sells Osama bin Laden’s masks as “terrorist costumes” for Halloween appeared first on The Express Tribune.