'Muslim machine gun' toy prompts supermarket apology

French supermarket chain Auchan has been forced to remove a toy gun from its stores after consumers complained that it was labelled with symbols associated with Islam.

The plastic toy, modelled after a Kalashnikov machine gun, has the celestial symbols of a crescent moon and star that are often associated with the Muslim faith.

Customers quickly took to social media to complain that the toy associated violence with Islam in a way that was offensive and Islamophobic.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Latest Videos From

The supermarket chain, one of the largest in France, quickly apologised and removed the toy from its website and stores. The company admitted that there had been a "lack of vigilance", telling French news site Nouvel Observateur that it was "very sorry if some people were offended by the presence of religious symbols".

"It was entirely unintentional," it said. "The product we ordered was of a neutral design that does not correspond with what we received."