We're sorry, but we could not fulfill your request for /2013/08/22/review-9516-jabbas-palace/ on this server. An invalid request was received from your browser. This may be caused by a malfunctioning proxy server or browser privacy software. Your technical support key is: 36ff-4a18-1756-6707 You can use this key to fix this problem yourself. and be sure to provide the technical support key shown above.Muslims declare victory in fight over ‘anti-Islamic’ Lego toy giant says production of ‘Jabba’s Palace’ building set was always slated to cease at the end of 2013 Sunday 31 March 2013 17:12 BST Austria’s Turkish community claimed a victory in its fight against Danish toy giant Lego yesterday after the firm agreed to withdraw a Star Wars toy set featuring a mosque-like building inhabited by an obese, hookah–smoking alien, following complaints that it was anti-Muslim. Lego said the criticism of the product had had no impact on the withdrawal of
the product (see footnote below).Lego added the “Jabba’s Palace” playset to its Star Wars collection in 2012. But in January this year the set started to provoke outrage in Austria’s Islamic community after a Muslim father found that his sister had given one to his son as a present.The game, which is aimed at children aged from nine to 14, features Jabba the Hutt in his intergalactic lair. Jabba, the slug-like villain who first appeared in the 1983 film Return of the Jedi, lives in a domed, oriental-looking building equipped with rockets and machine guns. He also smokes a water pipe and keeps Princess Leia in chains for use as his personal slave.Furious Muslim critics complained that the Lego set’s Asian and oriental figures were “deceitful and criminal” characters such as gun-runners, slave masters and terrorists.“This sort of thing does not belong in a child’s bedroom,” said Melissa Gunes, a spokeswoman for Austria’s Turkish Cultural Association. Critics also claimed that the palace had an uncanny resemblance to Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia mosque.
“The game is pedagogical dynamite. It depicts Muslims as terrorists,” the TCA complained, adding that Jabba was shown to be a “terrorist who likes to smoke hookah and have his victims killed”. It appealed to Lego to withdraw the product immediately.Lego initially dug in its heels and refused the request. The company insisted the product was merely a faithful reproduction. “We see no reason to take it off the market, we have simply followed the film,” the company said.But yesterday it emerged it had backed down and agreed to end its production from 2014 onwards. The decision followed a meeting in Munich between Turkish community leaders and Lego executives. Birol Killic, the president of the TCA, said in a statement: “We are very grateful and congratulate Lego on the decision to take Jabba’s Palace out of production.”Lego was not available for comment yesterday. There was no explanation why the game was not scheduled for immediate withdrawal. publication of this item Lego released a statement in which it disputed that
the views of the TCA had had any impact on the product’s withdrawal: "All Lego Star Wars products are based on the movies of the Star Wars saga,” said“The ‘Jabba’s Palace’ product does not reflect any non-fictional buildings, people, or the mentioned mosque. regrets that the product has caused the members of the Turkish cultural community to interpret it wrongly but the product only refers to the fictional content of the Star Wars saga. It is not correct that the discontinuation of the product is related in any way to the TCA’sThe Lego Star Wars assortment usually have a life-cycle of one to three years after which they leave the assortment, possibly to be renewed after some years. ‘Jabba’s Palace’ was planned from the beginning to be in the assortment only until the end of 2013 as new exciting models from the Star Wars universe will follow.”Lego has been accused of racism by the Turkish community over a Star Wars toy allegedly depicting a mosque.
The critics claim that the Jabba's Palace model, part of Lego's Star Wars range, offends Muslims as it resembles the Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul - one of the world's most renowned mosques. Members of the Turkish Cultural Community of Austria group also accused the toy manufacturer of depicting Asians as having 'deceitful and criminal personalities'. Toy: The Jabba's Palace Lego set will cease to be produced from 2014 after the Turkish Cultural Community of Austria group described it as offensive to the Muslim community Criticism: The group criticised Lego's design saying it resembles the Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul, one of the world's most recognisable mosques The group has released a statement calling for an apology from Lego for its cultural insensitivity.The Lego set is based on the home of Jabba the Hutt, a central character in the Star Wars series, who lives in a domed palace, with a separated watchtower.As well as bearing a likeness to the Hagia Sophia mosque, the Turkish group also claimed the toy takes its design from the Jami al-Kabir mosque in Beirut - while the watchtower is said to resemble a minaret.
A post on the community's website contains a picture of the slug-like creature's Lego home, pointing out similarities with the Istanbul mosque. Muslims have criticised the toy producer on the community's website, accusing it of deliberately placing contextual errors in the toy.The case came to light when a Turkish man expressed his dissatisfaction with the toy after it was purchased for his son by a family member. After investigating, Dr Melissa Günes, General Secretary of the Turkish Cultural Community, said that Lego had been contacted with an official complaint. Comparisons: A post appeared on the group's website pointing out features of the Lego set and comparing them to the Istanbul mosque A statement posted on the organisation's website refers to Jabba the Hutt as a 'terrorist' and says that he 'likes to smoke hookah and have his victims killed'.It adds: 'It is clear that the ugly figure of Jabba and the whole scene smacks of racial prejudice and vulgar insinuations against Asians and Orientals as people with deceitful and criminal personalities.'
The statement says that the figures in the set are made to resemble 'terrorists, criminals and murderers'. Referring to weapons contained in the set, the statement suggests that the 'combination of temple building and bunker facilities where shots are fired cannot be appropriate for children between 9 and 14 years old'.It concludes: 'One would expect more empathy and responsibility from a manufacturer of toys that has produced toys and models that are good for teaching for decades.' Jabba's Palace as depicted in the 1983 Star Wars film Return of the Jedi The organisation also says it is planning legal action in Austria, Germany and Turkey against the toy firm if it does not get a satisfactory response. Lego's Katharina Sasse said: 'The Lego Star Wars product Jabba´s Palace does not reflect any actually existing buildings, people, or the mentioned mosque.'The Lego mini-figures are all modelled on characters from the movie.'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.'The Hagia Sophia was first built around 360AD