Lowe's Among Companies That Have Pulled Ads From TLC's 'All-American Muslim' Reality Show

By Omar Sacirbey
Religion News Service

(RNS) Lowe's, the national hardware chain, has pulled commercials from future episodes of "All-American Muslim," a TLC reality-TV show, after protests by Christian groups.

The Florida Family Association, a Tampa Bay group, has led a campaign urging companies to pull ads on "All-American Muslim."

"'All-American Muslim' is propaganda clearly designed to counter legitimate and present-day concerns about many Muslims who are advancing Islamic fundamentalism and Sharia law," the Florida group asserts in a letter it asks members to send to TLC advertisers.

The show profiles only Muslims that appear to be ordinary folks while excluding many Islamic believers whose agenda poses a clear and present danger to the liberties and traditional values that the majority of Americans cherish," the FFA's letter continues.

It was not clear whether the companies cited by the Florida Family Association, which has also targeted shows like MTV's "Degrassi," stopped advertising on "All-American Muslim" because of pressure or for other reasons.

Emails from Home Depot and Sweet'N Low posted on the Florida Family Association's website suggest the companies had simply bought one commercial spot, and didn't cancel any commercials.

A spokeswoman for Amway, also cited by the Florida group, denied the company pulled advertising from "All-American Muslim," and said those reports were "misleading" and "falsely named."

Lowe's acknowledged pulling commercials from "All-American Muslim'' following consumer complaints, but denied they came from one group.

"We understand the program raised concerns, complaints, or issues from multiple sides of the viewer spectrum, which we found after doing research of news articles and blogs covering the show,'' said Katie Cody, a Lowe's spokeswoman.

Cody declined to specify whether the complaints were anti-Muslim, and whether Lowe's advertises on shows with Christian, Jewish, or other religious characters or themes. "It is certainly never Lowe's intent to alienate anyone,'' Cody said.

"Shame on Lowe's, and shame on every one of these companies if they really did cave in to such bigotry and hatred,'' wrote Sheila Musaji, who blogs at theamericanmuslim.org. If the Florida Family Association and other reports are misrepresenting these companies, she added, "then they need to speak up.''

The first of eight weekly episodes of "All-American Muslim,'' which follows five Lebanese families in Dearborn, Mich., premiered on Nov. 13.

A TLC spokeswoman, Laurie Goldberg, said the network could not comment about the alleged advertising defections, but that the show maintained ''strong'' advertising. "There are no plans to pull the show. The show is going to continue as planned,'' said Goldberg.

Check out a slideshow of some of the cast members below.

Comments

[Jen Locks]

01:27 PM on 02/22/2012

Good Job Lowes, I was going to to Home Depot for paint for my new place but not anymore. Lowes it is. Shame on TLC this show is wrong for so many reason, your comments here prove that. It's sad, You are all being manipulated to believe that Muslims are like us; that’s the problem. The Nazis were like us too. So were the Communists. They were and are what we are capable of becoming if we fall under the sway of a totalitarian ideology that insists it has the right and duty to enslave the human race. I I'am surprised how easy it is to convert to Islam, "jeff says" What the show neglects to mention is that while it is very easy to convert to Islam, it is quite difficult to leave. Having converted in a nationally televised event, should Jeff leave when the marriage goes south it will be considered apostasy which carries a death sentence. All-American Muslims, is show that tries to make a religion which believes in world domination and the inferiority of women, seem normal. Something is Terribly Wrong here.

[Tom Hn]

06:54 PM on 02/06/2012

There is something wrong with the photo. Muslim women are not supposed to be out by themselves. They need to be with their husband, father or son to be in a public place.

[enjoygadget01]

11:12 PM on 01/04/2012

one world one dream

[nicko68]

09:48 AM on 12/22/2011

Are we supposed to Love thy Enemy?

[ladywing]

06:04 PM on 12/20/2011

No more hate, No more Lowes for me

[Michelle Teresa Lopez]

12:56 AM on 12/20/2011

This just makes me want to cry. There are extremes in every religion - Hasidic Jews, for example, share many of the same beliefs as extreme Muslims, there are anti-abortion groups that think it is perfectly OK to kill doctors and bomb clinics. There are cults and anti-government groups all over the country. Yet, it's only Muslims that are painted with the terrorist brush, when the reality is that there are extremists of all kinds. How cowardly of Lowe's to deny Muslims to try to show themselves as the majority of them really are, and feeding the hate that is growing in this country, day by day.

[volanj]

05:23 PM on 12/23/2011

This just makes me want to laugh. Muslim population in the USA is about 2% of total population. How many terrorist acts were commited or plotted by muslims during the last couple of years? Naser Abdo, the would-be second Fort Hood jihad mass murderer; and Khalid Aldawsari, the would-be jihad mass murderer in Lubbock, Texas; and Muhammad Hussain, the would-be jihad bomber in Baltimore; and Mohamed Mohamud, the would-be jihad bomber in Portland; and Faisal Shahzad, the would-be Times Square jihad mass-murderer; and Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad, the Arkansas military recruiting station jihad murderer; and Naveed Haq, the jihad mass murderer at the Jewish Community Center in Seattle; and Mohammed Reza Taheri-Azar, the would-be jihad mass murderer in Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Ahmed Ferhani and Mohamed Mamdouh, who hatched a jihad plot to blow up a Manhattan synagogue; and Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the would-be Christmas airplane jihad bomber; and many others like them who have plotted and/or committed mass murder in the name of Islam and motivated by its texts and teachings.

[BlackWidowPilot]

04:14 AM on 02/16/2012

2% of 300 Million is how many human beings again, citizen?

Can you tell a Sunni from a Shiite, a Wahhabi from a Sufi?

Do tell.

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

PROTESTant

[Atsaguy]

03:39 PM on 12/19/2011

Why is there so much hate..I would like to see how these "normal" muslims live. I am sure there are many, many muslims who enjoy life in this country and our freedoms-THAT IS WHY THEY ARE HERE. Of course there are those that want to cause harm..and that is why we have the CIA, FBI and our military...this is shamful and Christinas should be the most ashamed bunch of us all.. WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?...I don't think he would want this kind of hate...I think we see plenty of those groups represented in programs who want to cause us harm..not everyone straps bombs to themselves and kill innocent people...

[volanj]

05:28 PM on 12/23/2011

Not everyone straps bombs to themselves. I am sure there are many, many muslims who enjoy life in this country and our freedoms and want to use our freedoms to replace our democracy with islamic sharia - by peaceful means, of course.

[NYnotLiberal]

01:28 AM on 12/19/2011

Saw this show for the first time tonight. These folks seem like decent Americans to me. What happened to religious tolerance, which is supposed to be one of the foundations of our country? Having said that, this is why I'm an agnostic, and have no use for any organized religion whatsoever, just because of nonsense like this. Christopher Hitchens was right!

[Barbara0817]

07:53 PM on 12/18/2011

Who cares , I think We need to preach some tolarance of other relions too. What makes muslims So special is it because They can lie , thier bible says to kill everyone Who doesnt agree with Them , infidels. They think Women are to betreated worse than dogs Why were We supposed to let Thier kids pray in school While Ours cant They want to bring Thier laws her and They enforce Thier laws with the death penalty, They even kill Thier own family members . I Am sorry I dont hate Them would never say a word to any of Them but I dont want Them running things here. If You dont like it go back home.

[Michelle Teresa Lopez]

01:01 AM on 12/20/2011

Barbara, you are a prime example of the kind of person who needs to watch this show. You have stated many things about Muslims that are not true. You say we need to be tolerant of other religions and yet you show in your very next words, that you really mean just the opposite. If you really want to learn what Islam is about, pick up a book and read it. I think you will be surprised, and ashamed, once you have educated yourself. And, no, I am not a Muslim, I am a devout Cathlic, and Muslims and Christians have a lot more in common that you think.

[UZOOZY]

12:02 AM on 12/21/2011

Dear Barbara,
Please read the bible there is so much hatred deceit lies in it is unbelievable.
Women are treated so well in Islam , do not say things that you have heard.
one in six people walking this earth are Mulims they are not stupid . women are at very esteem in Islam.
Check facts

[listgirl3]

05:39 PM on 12/18/2011

RIDICULOUS.

But then again...it comes from a group called the Florida Family Group - it's almost an oxymoron.

[csgraves]

06:39 PM on 12/17/2011

Great for Lowes..

[Jimmy Lant]

09:43 PM on 12/16/2011

I don't care about muslim's or christian's or any other religion! you are all stupid for believing in a super hero in the sky..... I will shop where ever I want, I will not let religion control where I shop, eat, watch or whatever..

[timm553]

03:54 PM on 12/16/2011

It should be glaringly obvious to all posting here that if there were NO religion, then there wouldn't even be a problem.

Just food for thought.

[Michelle Teresa Lopez]

01:03 AM on 12/20/2011

No, if there were religious people who actually did what their holy books told them to do, none of this would be happening. But how many have take one verse, or one phrase and perverted it to serve their misguided purposes. THAT is the real problem.

[bokhattak]

05:13 PM on 12/20/2011

How is that obvious? Are you implying that humanity has never persecuted, made war or hated based on criteria other than religion? That's ludicrous and clearly false. Without religion, we would certainly employ other means to differentiate ourselves and persecute others.

[Alex0393]

12:35 AM on 12/16/2011

I saw yesterday that Lowes is enjoying a noticable record setting December thus far so it looks like the majority of Americas either don't care or agree with them on this one. But you folks keep on boycotting them cuz that'll show them. You may have to leave your "occupy wall street because we're too lazy to work" postitions to do it but I have faith in you. Go get'em

[Evenie]

12:16 PM on 12/17/2011

I assume you have a job? How is that I wonder. In fact, I can't figure out how so many people in this country have jobs at all considering they could never work with customers.

[jaabirllx]

08:48 PM on 12/15/2011

The action of this self-called "Christian" group is aimed at assuring the continual demonization of Muslims & Islam. According to my religion (Catholic), slander and defamation are sins; alas, many 'traditional' Catholics are as much involved in these campaigns as fundamentalist protestants are.