H&M recalls Lego-themed socks after customers spot ‘Allah’ in design

Swedish clothing giant H&M was forced to remove a range of children’s socks from its stores after receiving complaints that part of a design featuring a Lego man with a jackhammer allegedly resembled Arabic script for “Allah.”
A pair of socks caused a stir after several customers complained the print featuring a Lego figure resembled the Arabic word for “Allah,” if viewed upside down, Swedish media reports. The pattern in fact depicts a Lego figure with a jackhammer, apparently conducting road maintenance. The retailer insists the hidden message was “entirely a coincidence,”according to a statement cited by Dagens Nyheter.

H&M nevertheless chose to “remove the products,” given the public reaction. The incident comes just weeks after H&M came under fire for its ad featuring a black child in a sweatshirt with the words: “Coolest monkey in the jungle.” The ad sparked an international backlash and accusations of “racism.” Some critics even said they would boycott of the brand. H&M stores across South Africa were shuttered after they were targeted by protesters. In response to the condemnation, H&M hired “a global leader” to address “diversity and inclusiveness.”