Someone at Lego is having a busy day on social media trying to set the record straight about the toy company’s “caving” to Muslims who found one of the company’s building sets anti-Islamic.
According to reports in the U.K. Independent and other media outlets, Muslim critics of the Star Wars-themed “Jabba’s Palace” set are declaring victory, claiming that pressure from Austria’s Turkish Cultural Association and other groups forced the Denmark company to withdraw the set from production. The set, which some say resembles Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia mosque, depicts Star Wars character Jabba the Hutt as a “terrorist who likes to smoke hookah and have his victims killed,” according to the TCA.
Many Lego fans were outraged by the headlines today, fearing that Lego had caved in the name of political correctness.
Lego stops production on Star Wars series ‘Jabba’s Palace’ model due to claims that it is anti-Muslim ow.ly/jD68J
— ENGAGE (@iEngageuk) April 1, 2013
Following the Muslim victory over Jabba the Hutt and Lego, Admiral “Allahu” Ackbar was said to be delighted. #Atheism twitter.com/darkphle/statu…
— darkphle (@darkphle) April 1, 2013
Allah is scared of Jabba. — The racist menace? Muslims declare victory in fight over ‘anti-Islamic’ Lego independent.co.uk/news/world/eur…
— Pierre Lemieux (@pierre_lemieux) April 1, 2013
Yet more apeasement to and more complaints from “the religon” of complaints and victiminisation. Many thanks to… fb.me/12CKJFyGu
— British Patriots Soc (@BritishPatriots) April 1, 2013
Islam wins again, this time Lego caves…… dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2…
— David Vance (@DVATW) April 1, 2013
@lego_group if you dare bow down to the offended Turks and remove the “Jabba’s Palace”, I will never allow my kids to own your products.
— navy_sailor87 (@navy_sailor87) April 1, 2013
Not so fast there. Lego is insisting that the Turkish Cultural Association’s victory is a hollow one at best. Yes, the set will be phased out by 2014, but as anyone who collects licensed Lego sets knows, the set was scheduled to be discontinued anyway. Lego did its best to correct the record on Twitter.
“Lego is reportedly to stop selling a Jabba the Hutt set which Turkish activists argued was anti-Muslim”… Seriously?
— Gav McDonald (@Gav_Mack) April 1, 2013
@gav_mack No. We typically keep a product in the assortment for a few years & it was scheduled to exit end 13 when it was launched last yr.
— The LEGO Group (@LEGO_Group) April 1, 2013
@sidewaysburnout Jabba’s Palace has been scheduled to exit in 2013 since launch & not due to critique. Statement on ow.ly/jCFMZ
— The LEGO Group (@LEGO_Group) April 1, 2013
@danbarker Actually not. We only keep a product in the assortment for a few years and it was scheduled to exit in 2013 from launch.
— The LEGO Group (@LEGO_Group) April 1, 2013
@rt_com Comment to ow.ly/jCH1W. Typical LEGO product lifecycle is 1-3 yrs & “Jabba’s Palace” exits in 2013 as planned from launch
— The LEGO Group (@LEGO_Group) April 1, 2013
@m4rkw The LEGO Jabba’s Palace exits in 2013 as planned from launch. Not due to a critique
— The LEGO Group (@LEGO_Group) April 1, 2013
@jaekay Product was planned to exit in 13 since launch & not due to the critique that you can find our reaction to hr ow.ly/jCIrb
— The LEGO Group (@LEGO_Group) April 1, 2013
@mailonline Decision to terminate “Jabba’s Palace” end 2013 was taken before its launch in 2012 & before the criticism from this Community
— The LEGO Group (@LEGO_Group) April 1, 2013
@wcsowder It’s not. “Jabba’s Palace” has been scheduled to exit in 2013 since its launch last year & not due to any critique
— The LEGO Group (@LEGO_Group) April 1, 2013
@dwilly01 “Jabba’s Palace” was always planned to exit end 2013. You can read our comment to the criticism here ow.ly/jCFMZ
— The LEGO Group (@LEGO_Group) April 1, 2013
@lego_group I appreciate the reply. Are you keeping it available for the entirety of 2013 or pulling it immediately?
— Derek (@Dwilly01) April 1, 2013
@dwilly01 The entirety as planned. “Jabba’s Palace” refers to fictional content of the Star Wars saga & is not based on any real building
— The LEGO Group (@LEGO_Group) April 1, 2013
So “Jabba’s Palace” will remain on shelves throughout 2013 as planned, but if you’re a collector, you might not want to wait to pick it up.
Anyone else want to rush out and buy a #Lego Jabba The Hut palace play set now? I sure as heck do! tinyurl.com/cec72tb
— David Mac Dougall (@davidmacdougall) April 1, 2013
