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Children’s Activity Book Taken Off Shelves

AJMAN — A children’s colouring and activity book titled “Veggie Tales” has been taken off the shelves after its contents caused an outrage by belittling the Arabs, particularly the Palestinians, and lionising the Israelis.

Ajman Municipality spokesperson Ayasha Kajor said that as soon as we received complaints, we sent our inspectors to the hypermarket, but by then the books had been taken off the shelves.

She stressed that the municipality would not allow the sale of any product that could hurt the sentiments of Muslims and Arabs.

The controversial book states that Palestine is the ‘promised land’ given to the Israelis by God. When realists went from Egypt to Palestine, the Palestinians attacked them, but the Israelis defeated the Palestinians and got their ‘promised land’.

The book projects Palestinians as a giant which threatened the life of the Israelis.

The Arabs are expressing anger over words that they consider as an insult to all of them: “Everyone watched as the scary philistine giant wiggled, then wobbled, then fell over! When the philistines saw that, they all ran away and hid!”

Speaking to Khaleej Times, Mohammed K., who works in Ajman Public Prosecution, said, “I bought the book from a hypermarket for my son to do colouring. I was shocked when I began to read the story to my son. Then I told my son that what was written in the book was wrong, and narrated to him the real story of Palestine.”

Yousif Al Kabbi, another parent, said children’s books are imported after permission from the concerned authorities.

However, special watchdog body should be set up to monitor children’s publications that impart information that is contrary to our culture, belief and traditions, said Al Kabbi.

The book was printed by Big Ideas Printing Press in Canada.

afkarali@khaleejtimes.com