Yahoo News Marks and Spencer denies toilet roll is embossed with Allah symbol after petition calls for boycott
Marks & Spencer have been forced to deny claims that their toilet roll is embossed with the symbol of Allah.
A viral video showed an unidentified man offering up ‘proof’ that the aloe vera toilet roll from the retail giant was plastered with the Arabic word for God.
Urging viewers to boycott M&S, the person who made the clip can be heard saying: ‘Recently I bought toilet tissue from Marks & Spencer and when I opened one of them, it has the name of Allah, as you can see.
The motif on the aloe vera toilet tissue, which we have been selling for over five years, is categorically of an aloe vera leaf and we have investigated and confirmed this with our suppliers.
— M&S (@marksandspencer) January 19, 2019
‘So please brothers and sisters, prevent yourselves from buying this particular toilet tissue, or try boycott Marks & Spencers, because every toilet tissue has the name of Allah on it.
‘Thank you very much, please share this video.’
A petition soon started to add calls to the boycott, that has so far attracted over 2,000 signatures.
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The petition reads: ‘We need Marks and Spencers to remove the aloe vera toilet paper as it is deliberately insulting our religion.
‘They have the word ‘Allah’ written in Arabic on their aloe vera toilet rolls. This is a very weasly and pathetic attempt to insult Islam.[sic]’
There were differing views on the loo roll, with some supporting the boycott.
Well you are now aware that this pattern is offending muslims. YOU – as a retailer have the power to work with your suppliers to change or tweak this image of the aloe vera plant so its clear what it is. Even YOU had to check with your suppliers to see what it is.
— Arwa (@Itsarwaaaa) January 20, 2019
Others, however, found the whole thing ‘ridiculous’:
Sorry you’ve had to deal with such a ridiculous thing M&S! Yet again I’m embarrassed by my fellow Muslims 🙄. I love your stores and will continue shopping in them.
— Amina Jane Ishaq (@jamiemumma) January 19, 2019
I have never seen anything so ridiculous, it’s an embossed pattern of a plant, wipe your bum instead of raising trouble where there is none to be had🙄
— Eleanor (@violetbakes) January 19, 2019
M&S you shouldn’t have even responded to this idiot! Don’t give him the time of day.
— OrangeT3mplar (@OT3mplar) January 23, 2019
This is pathetic you should’t even respond to this dribble.
— some bloke (@tyinthesky) January 23, 2019
M&S have now responded to the video, insisting the symbol has nothing to do with Islam.
They tweeted: ‘The motif on the aloe vera toilet tissue, which we have been selling for over five years, is categorically of an aloe vera leaf and we have investigated and confirmed this with our suppliers.’
