(WASHINGTON, D.C., 8/16/2000) -
Alhamdulillah, CAIR announced today that Liz Claiborne Inc. (NYSE: LIZ) is recalling a line of DKNY jeans deemed offensive by Muslims because verses from the Quran (Sura Ya Sin) were incorporated in its design.
In a settlement with CAIR, the company also agreed to: 1) offer an apology to Muslims worldwide, 2) institute changes to its design process, 3) conduct sensitivity training to prevent a similar incident from occurring in the future, and 4) dispose of the recalled jeans as recommended by Islamic scholars and consultants.
CAIR asked for the recall after receiving complaints about the jeans from members of the American Muslim community. Muslims were particularly offended that the Quranic verses (36:65-67) were printed on the back pocket of the jeans. That would mean that those who wore the jeans would be sitting on the verses.
A delegation from CAIR met recently with Liz Claiborne officials in New York City to discuss the incident. At that meeting, company representatives explained the origins of the offensive design. They told CAIR that it reflected a trend in uses of Asian, Indian and Middle Eastern imagery. The design used on the jeans was purchased from an outside source that misinformed the company that the text, apparently taken from a photograph of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, had been rendered "nonsensical."
A statement of apology issued by Liz Claiborne read in part: "We...offer our sincere apology to the Muslim community worldwide for this unfortunate mistake...We are profoundly sorry that any of our products reflected insensitivity toward the Muslim faith, as this was certainly never our intent."
"Liz Claiborne officials demonstrated their regret through the swift and sensitive way in which they reacted to this unfortunate and apparently unintentional incident," said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad. CAIR Board Chairman Omar Ahmad added: "This case proves that any corporation dealing in the international marketplace will increase its chances of success if it is sensitive to diverse religions and cultures. We thank the members of the Muslim community who contacted CAIR about this product."
The jeans, sold only in the United States, were shipped to stores in February as part of the launch of the DKNY Jeans junior line. (Liz Claiborne holds the license from Donna Karan International to manufacture and distribute DKNY Jeans. Donna Karan, DKNY and Liz Claiborne have retail outlets in Muslim majority countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Indonesia, and Lebanon.)
In 1994, designer Karl Lagerfeld apologized to Muslims worldwide for a low-cut dress in his Chanel collection that was printed with a passage from the Quran. The dresses were later destroyed. A similar incident in 1997 involved the recall of a pair of Nike shoes that used a design resembling the Arabic word for "Allah," or God.
To view the Liz Claiborne/DKNY jeans, go to:
http://www.cair-net.org/images/news/000001-pocket.jpg
http://www.cair-net.org/images/news/000001-jeans.jpg
