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A senator from the South Bay is speaking out against Lowe's Home Improvement store's decision to pull ads from the TLC show "All-American Muslim," after the household goods company caved to pressure from anti-Muslim groups. Calling the decision "profoundly ignorant," Senator Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) said in a statement:
Lowe’s action is bigoted, shameful, and un-American. I call on Lowe’s to rescind its action and apologize to Americans who are Muslim. If Lowe’s continues its religious bigotry, I will encourage boycotts of Lowe’s and look into legislative remedies.
In their own statement, KTLA reports that Lowe's explained their decision thusly:
Lowe's has received a significant amount of communication on this program, from every perspective possible. Individuals and groups have strong political and societal views on this topic, and this program became a lightning rod for many of those views. As a result we did pull our advertising on this program.
Who have they received said "significant communication" from, you ask? Well, groups like the Florida Family Association, for one. (A quick glance at the association's website reveals them to be anti-gay and anti-transgender in addition to being anti-Muslim.) The Florida Family Association has this to say about the TLC show:
The Learning Channel's new show 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 show profiles only Muslims that appear to be ordinary folks while excluding many Islamic believers whose agenda poses a clear and present danger to liberties and traditional values that the majority of Americans cherish.
Liee is calling for a public apology form Lowe's, and a reversal of the advertising decision.
