Best Buy Ad's Mention Of Muslim Holiday Irks Some Customers

A recent Best Buy ad (hat tip to CrunchGear) promoting the store's Black Friday sales includes a nod to the Muslim holiday Eid Al-Adha, which is celebrated that day.

Sounds rather innocent, doesn't it?

Instead of being praised for its inclusiveness, Best Buy is being attacked by some customers who have made their views known on the company's message board. Some consumers are particularly irked because the home electronics retailer recently announced that it will no longer put "Merry Christmas" in its flyers.

Conservative groups like the the American Family Association began attacking the retailer in 2006 after the chain said it would replace "Merry Christmas" with "Happy Holidays" in its ads. Best Buy, for its part, denies it has abandoned the C word altogether; it can be found on gift cards and online. The AFA has yet to comment on the ad.

The AFA has also called for a boycott of The Gap for its new holiday commercial which includes shout-outs to Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Solstice, in addition to Christmas.

But there seems to be a small and vocal group of Best Buy customers who don't appreciate the flyer. Some of the colorful customer responses on Best Buy's message board include (please note that these may not accurately reflect the nature of the holiday Eid Al-Adha):

"Makes sense. Stop saying Christmas because you dont want to be associated with Jesus, and instead associate yourself with goat sacrifice. Truly noble. I think ill go to Best Buy with a dead goat."

Or this response:

"Eid is not about "giving to the poor", etc. It is about sacrifice. I live in a Muslim country and the streets literally run with blood during this holiday. That is not an exaggeration. Yes, they give some of the meat to the poor...but it is all about sacrifice."

Check out more of the comments at Best Buy's message board.

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Comments

[JScott]

11:42 AM on 11/28/2009

Sadly the holidays be they whatever persuasion have been subverted by politics and corporatism, aka
'what ever holiday you celebrate JUST BUY SOMETHING FROM US' SAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[invest in jobs]

10:42 AM on 11/28/2009

Where is the change we can believe in? Why more troops in Afghanistan?

rec website: http://financeopinionss.blogspot.com
Playing the center isn't a viable strategy in the long term because the republicans wont compromise and he'll lose some dem support.

[psk]

12:08 AM on 11/28/2009

Christmas isn't until next month and already we are listening to the same old song about the "hate on Christmas" when indeed Black Friday happens to also be somebody else's religious holiday.

Good grief there are dozens of religious (and non-religious) celebrations going on between mid-November to mid-January, most taking place in December. Why does this particular group feel that the rest have to listen to their constant whining noises? Truly it puts a damper upon the whole season for everyone within the sound of their voices, regardless of religious (or non) affiliations.

Can they not find any joy? Or must they always be whiny and combative and not play well with others?

[smartlouella]

12:47 PM on 12/02/2009

If Best Buy wouldn't have made the decision not to use "Christmas" in advertising, this would be a non-issue.

I can see why people are upset. I wouldn't like it if a store "ditched women" or "ditched African Americans" or any other race, creed, color or religion.

[bepa]

05:53 PM on 11/27/2009

new documentary coming...

Rev Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping in

"What would Jesus Buy"

You can see some of it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzSKpfeNN-8

[gnomic]

03:32 PM on 11/27/2009

I bought there today; if the AFA says it's wrong it must be right!

[Joker Jam]

02:00 PM on 11/27/2009

I didn't spend a dime on Black Friday...not contributing to a rigged economy run by globalists who have contempt for the working class while bailing out the big banks at tax payer expense.

good articles: http://financeopinionss.blogspot.com

staying home 2010, 2012

[DISH Network Corporate]

12:26 PM on 11/27/2009

At DISH Network, we're definitely not afraid to wish everyone a merry Christmas! We encourage you to check out our latest commercial spot and celebrate Christmas right along with our employees! http://bit.ly/7fWh9p

[ETSpoon]

12:35 PM on 11/27/2009

Grow up.

[wolfgangmo]

05:12 PM on 11/27/2009

Thanks for that. Now I know at least one company that won't be getting my money.

And given that you seem more than a little dense in the cranial regions, let me clarify. That means Dish Nutwork.

[ETSpoon]

12:20 PM on 11/27/2009

"Conservatives," grow up. All above-the-Equator civilizations have winter festivals around the same time shortly after the winter solstice when the growing length of day-light starts to be most noticeable.

Of all the so-called "Christian" sects, cults and faction only the Jehovah Witnesses have it right: Christmas falls on the ancient Roman holiday of Saturnalia and has little, if anything, to do with the birth of Jesus.

[HmblDog]

09:57 AM on 11/27/2009

I believe we all need to take a deep breath and ask ourselves "What would Supply-Side Jesus do?"
Heaven :o) knows that as a jew he must have been pretty perplexed to show up in Jerusalem and find there were some Romans hanging around who didn't follow the teachings of Leviticus and as I recall he overturned the moneychanger's tables outside the temple because they were accepting money stamped with the image of Caesar on it.
Clearly, if you operate a business you have to orient your model towards the Supply-Side Jesus world view otherwise this market is never going to recover the way our Lord and Saviour intended.
Now are you ready for some Foooootbaaalllll?

[danadenisenunez]

10:05 PM on 11/26/2009

This is crazy! So this year we should wake up what? at least 3:00am so we can insert our bodies to the hinge of bestbuy's door?...

Speaking of bestbuy. What to buy on Best Buy Black Friday 2009? Here's a list!

Best Buy is still the best buy for Black friday 2009: http://bit.ly/best-buy-2009-black-friday-crazy-sales

And also don't be angry with campers who have been there 24 hours ago or they might bite you!

[Emucrat]

06:27 PM on 11/26/2009

By the way. Who except atheists and religious fanatics cares which religious days BestBuy mentions? I go to BestBuy to buy gadgets, not to see if they respect my religious beliefs so grow up.

[iMissMollyIvins]

06:08 PM on 11/26/2009

These ignoramuses that claim to be Christian must have skimmed over the verses in Leviticus (one of their favorite books in The Bible) where the faithful are instructed in the many ways and reasons to sacrifice animals to God.

[Emucrat]

06:21 PM on 11/26/2009

Wow! Atheists can be so off-topic when anything mentions religion. They simply r.ant about Christianity if any chance given. How poor.

I am a Christian, but I don't mind that they mention the Muslim holiday. They just want to make some money. I would do it too if it guarantees me at least $ 1 million more in revenues.

[iMissMollyIvins]

07:09 PM on 11/26/2009

You assume facts not in evidence, I am not an Atheist, not that there's anything wrong with that. And, not that it's any of your business, I am a Christian, and my point still stands.

[CNYObamaFan]

07:47 PM on 11/26/2009

She said "claim to be christians" not "christians" turn your skin thickness up a hair, will you?

[Emucrat]

06:26 PM on 11/26/2009

What a poor comment.

[riff4u]

05:17 PM on 11/26/2009

I was going to buy some DVDs at Walmart tomorrow. I think I will go to Best Buy and spend my money there.

[danadenisenunez]

04:58 PM on 11/26/2009

What to buy on Best Buy Black Friday 2009? Here's a list of the "best" Best Buy deals and flyers for 2009. So Wake up early!

And also don't be angry with campers who have been there 24 hours ago or they might bite you!

Best Buy is still the best buy for Black friday 2009: http://bit.ly/best-buy-2009-black-friday-crazy-sales

"and suddenly all became just a piece of candy"

[Joker Jam]

11:58 AM on 11/26/2009

Looks like the overseas markets crashing on Dubai default fears...Maybe this is retribution for all the Wall Street excess over the past few months..

hat tip to http://financeopinionss.blogspot.com

let Wall Street fail. Let the banks fail