A BERSATU leader has slammed the recent controversy surrounding the design of a shoe logo, viewed as resembling the Arabic script for the word “Allah”, saying the matter is getting ridiculous and has made Islam look “very petty and bad”.
Bersatu Youth chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that Muslims should not be so paranoid as to think that everything is an act to challenge Islam.
“Our actions need to be based on knowledge and not blind emotion,” he stated.
Comparing the shoe controversy to the recent case of socks imprinted with the word “Allah”, Wan Fayhsal said in the case of the latter, the offence was clear.
However, in the case of Vern’s shoes, there was nothing against Islamic law, he added.
Wan Fayhsal, who is also the Machang MP, further noted that the mass media should stop reporting “such nonsense” for the sake of viral readership.
“Islam is not the religion for stupid people,” he said.
The shoe company, Vern’s Holding Sdn Bhd, has apologised for the logo design, taken steps to stop sales of the shoe, and offered refunds to customers.
This is following a post that went viral after a man allegedly claimed that a high-heel shoe had an inscription resembling the word “Allah” on its sole.
The company said shortcomings in the design of the logo, imprinted on the sole, “was inspired by the image of interconnected lines resembling a high-heeled shoe” but acknowledged the shortcomings in the design that could lead to misinterpretation.
Police are currently investigating the case while officials in Johor have seized several pairs of the shoes from Vern’s shop in Johor Bahru. – April 8, 2024
Main pic credit: Sinar Harian
