Talking doll accused of promoting Islam

NEW YORK-An American-made talking doll that sounds like it is saying 'Islam is the Light' has generated controversy here. The doll, distributed by Fisher-Price, a company that specialises in pre-school products, is meant to make realistic baby sounds and occasionally cry out for its 'mama', according to media reports. But some parents told reporters that one of its baby babble sounds just like 'Islam is the Light', and have complained to Mattel, the firm which owns Fisher-Price. Some shops in the US have removed the doll from shelves after complaints from customers, according to media reports. A spokesman for Fisher-Price insisted that the doll was not pushing pro-Islamic messages, adding, that the sound some parents were hearing was caused by an accidental distortion of the doll's soundtrack. 'The Little Mommy Cuddle'n Coo dolls feature realistic baby sounds including cooing, giggling, and baby babble with no real sentence structure', a spokesman said. 'The only scripted word the doll says is 'mama'. There is a sound that may resemble something close to the word 'night', 'right', or 'light'. 'Because the original soundtrack is compressed into a file that can be played through an inexpensive toy speaker, actual sounds may be imprecise or distorted'. Earlier, Mattel released a statement saying that 'the power of suggestion' was the reason why parents were mis-hearing the doll.

ePaper - Nawaiwaqt