Saiqa Noreen launched a petition to have the shoes, which were released previous year, pulled from shelves and criticised Nike for allowing Allah’s name to be “trampled, kicked and become soiled with mud or even filth”. The outrage prompted Nike to issue a statement explaining that the logo was a stylised representation of the Air Max trademark.
According to the Change.org petition – which has garnered more than 10,000 signatures over the last two weeks – the logo looks like “Allah”, in Arabic writing.
The petition demands that Nike stop selling the “blasphemous and offensive shoe”, and any other product that might include the same logo.
Muslims are demanding Nike recall their AIR MAX 270 shoe over an apparently “offensive” logo displayed on the bottom of the product.
“It is outrageous and appalling of Nike to allow the name of God on a shoe”, the petition continued.
A Nike spokesman said no offence was intended and the company respects all religions and it takes concerns of this nature seriously.
Since the Air Max 270 dropped is February 2018, the cushiony sneaker has been a hit for Nike. “Islam teaches compassion, kindness and fairness towards all”, he continued.
Musilms are calling on Nike to recall an “offensive” line of trainers because the logo looks like Allah’s name in Arabic when turned upside down.
Nike did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
In 1997, the company came under scrutiny for using a flame-shaped logo that also resembled the word for Allah. “In that case, Nike pulled 38,000 pairs of sneakers worldwide and donated $50,000 to an Islamic elementary school in the United States”.
The retailer said the design represented an aloe vera leaf but the petition accused it of “deliberately insulting our religion”.
The petition claims the design on the shoe’s sole resembles the Arabic word for “Allah”, adding that it “will surely be trampled, kicked and become soiled with mud or even filth”.
