H & M caught up in fresh racism row over offensive ‘Allah’ children’s sock range

EARLIER this month, H & M was slammed over its ‘racist’ hoodie. Now, the clothing giant is facing a fresh race controversy.

H & M said the resemblance was “entirely coincidental”. Picture: Joe Raedle/Getty Images/AFP

SWEDISH fast-fashion giant H & M has apologised and pulled a range of children’s socks from its shelves in response to complaints made by members of the Muslim community.

The offending socks bore an image of a Lego figurine holding a jackhammer — but Muslim shoppers claimed when turned upside down, the image appeared to resemble the word “Allah” in Arabic, prompting outrage.

According to The Independent, a company spokesperson said the resemblance was “entirely coincidental” and that no offence or hidden meaning was intended by the design.

“At H & M we always aim to offer products that we believe our customers will appreciate,” the spokesperson said.

“The print on this sock represents a Lego figurine, any other meaning is entirely coincidental and we apologise if this motif has offended anyone.”

Swedish clothing brand H&M apologizes for pattern resembling word “Allah” on children’s socks https://t.co/V3H334kGI9 pic.twitter.com/2pFlZZ6ERU

— Robert Spencer (@jihadwatchRS) January 28, 2018

But it’s just the latest headache for the Stockholm-based company.

Earlier this month, H & M was also forced to apologise and remove ads featuring a black child model wearing a hoodie bearing the words “coolest monkey in the jungle” after the company was accused of racism by customers and celebrities alike.

Huge international stars including NBA star LeBron James, rapper Diddy and singer The Weeknd were just some of the household names to publicly criticise the company at the time.

The Weeknd, who had previously collaborated with H & M and performed at its Spring 2017 fashion show, went one step further, saying he would cut all ties with the brand as a result.

H & M apologised and removed an ad featuring a black model in a sweatshirt with the words “Coolest monkey in the jungle”. Picture: H & M via AP

“Woke up this morning shocked and embarrassed by this photo. I’m deeply offended and will not be working with H & M any more,” he posted on Twitter alongside an image of the ad.

The company announced it had appointed a diversity leader following the hoodie scandal and said the backlash “demonstrates so clearly how big our responsibility is as a global brand”.

The multinational retailer sells budget-friendly shoes, clothing and accessories for men, women, teenagers and children as well as homewares.

It is the second-largest global clothing retailer, behind Zara’s parent company Inditex, with more than 4500 stores across 62 countries and a workforce of more than 132,000 people.

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