Lego, accused of making fun of Muslim culture with its Star Wars/Jabba the Hutt Palace Lego, which bears a likeness to some iconic Muslim mosques in Istanbul, has decided to pull the toys from store shelves.
Austria’s Turkish community said the model was based on Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul and that the accompanying figures depicted Asians and Orientals as people with “deceitful and criminal personalities,” the Telepgraph reports.
The Turkish Cultural Community of Austria released a statement calling for Lego to apologise for affronting religious and cultural feelings, and now Lego has exceeded their expectations by removing the toys from retail sale and production.
“Jabba’s Palace”, a model of the home of Jabba the Hutt from Lego’s “Star Wars” product range, is seen as making fun of Muslim culture, rather than celebrating Muslim architecture. Jabba, the large slug-like creature who holds Princess Leia in chains as his harem slave in the film “Return of the Jedi,” lived in a domed home and accompanying watchtower. Critics believe Jabba’s Palace bears a likeness to Istanbul’s great Hagia Sophia, and another mosque in Beirut.
Initially, Lego rebuffed attempts to have the toy pulled off shelves, arguing that the company had merely followed the Star Wars films in creating the scenario and that there was nothing sinister about it at all. But it seems that the company has now decided to cease production of the toy starting in 2014, the Blaze reports.
“The LEGO Star Wars product Jabba’s Palace does not reflect any actually existing buildings, people, or the mentioned mosque,” said LEGO spokeswoman Katharina Sasse. “We regret that the product has caused the members of the Turkish cultural community to come to a wrong interpretation, but point out that when designing the product only the fictional content of the Star Wars saga were referred to.”