Walmart Halloween costumes depicting an Israeli Defense Forces solider and a sheikh have outraged some in the Muslim community who feel the outfits are offensive.
Imraan Siddiqi, executive director of the Council of
American-Islamic Relations in Arizona, told The Daily Beast that he thinks the military uniform costume is not appropriate for Halloween.
"One of my (extended) family lost nine of their family members to the bombing of Gaza last year — four of their children," Siddiqi said. "I don't think it's a good idea to sell the costume of any given regime out there. I wouldn't support a kids Egyptian Army uniform or Saudi Arabian Army uniform. Plus, there's the gun."
Walmart's "Sheikh Fagin nose" accessory also received criticism online. The item was a ridiculously large latex prosthetic nose labeled as being
"perfect for an Arab Sheik," according to BBC News.
Walmart soon announced that it had pulled the latex nose from its online
Halloween store, The New York Times reported.
The store was selling the item on behalf of North Carolina's Morris Costumes, which appears to be where the product description came from as well.
Walmart has also stopped selling the Israeli soldier costume, seemingly after receiving a response from the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.
"The costumes are very problematic, and offensive to many people," committee president Samer Khalaf said in a statement. "The Israeli forces are responsible for the continued death and occupation of the Palestinian people. Such a symbol of fear, violence and a long history of dispossession should not be used for entertainment purposes. Selling merchandise which mocks Arabs, or any other race or ethnicity, must not be tolerated."
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