Lego pulls Star Wars Jabba Palace Set Due To Racist Claims From Muslim Group (Update)

By Jay Cochran on 2013-04-02 in Action Figures
UPDATE: MSN indicates that LEGO is simply stopping production of this set in 2014, which would be different from actually pulling already produced product from store shelves. We have reached out to LEGO to see if we can get official confirmation about this and will update when we hear more.


Examiner.com via Fox News is reporting that LEGO has pulled their Jabba's Palace set from store shelves after a Muslim group claimed that the Jabba's Palace play set was created to look like the Hagia Sophiais which is an Islamic house of worship.

When Austrian Muslims saw the Jabba's Palace Lego play set's resemblance to their mosque, they claimed it was anti-Islamic and became outraged over this toy, which is now in toy stores. After months of “intense angst and debate,” it's reported that Lego has agreed to stop making this Star Wars set to “temper the storm.”



My question is, have these Austrian Muslims never seen Return of the Jedi before? If you own this set or can still find it on shelves then you may want to grab it up, because like with previous toys that have been pulled from shelves, it's likely going to skyrocket in price on the secondary market.

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Comments...

Last 10 comments - ( Read All Posts )
jedicrippler - 2013-04-04 @ 2:27 am

What are you talking about? They didn't "pass the buck". They just went ahead & announced that it was going to be discontinued. They've even mentioned on Twitter or somesuch that it was slated to go out of production next year. It's not "passing the buck" or bowing to pressure or anything else. It's the normal business practice for LEGO.

featofstrength - 2013-04-03 @ 10:10 pm

This is a non-issue from LEGO's standpoint. It's just LEGO telling them they "won" when in reality it was probably slated to be discontinued next year anyways.

Yeah, but still a pretty #$$# way to pass the buck.

jedicrippler - 2013-04-01 @ 8:47 pm

Meh. It's not like they don't usually retire sets after a couple of years anyway. 2014 is pretty much when the set would normally be scheduled for retirement. It's business as usual for LEGO. Heck, the series 9 LEGO minifigure collection is listed as retiring soon on LEGO's site & it was just released around X-Mas. This is a non-issue from LEGO's standpoint. It's just LEGO telling them they "won" when in reality it was probably slated to be discontinued next year anyways. It's too bad people can't bother to fact check things properly.

featofstrength - 2013-04-01 @ 7:01 pm

BOO! LEGO, you @##@@ cowards! Jabba's palace set to be renamed "Scalper's Delight" on ebay listings.

Wheeljack35 - 2013-04-01 @ 5:55 pm

(link)

Cowards...

Muslims declare victory in fight over 'anti-Islamic' Lego as Denmark promises to axe Jabbas Palace toy

Jabba's Palace will cease production in 2014 but not removed immediately

Turkish Community Forum congratulated Lego for stopping production

Claims that Jabba's Palace set resembles Istanbul's Hagia Sophia mosque

Describes Star Wars character Jabba the Hutt as resembling a 'terrorist'

Lego denied any link and said the toy was based on the Star Wars movies

Read more: (link)

Flounnderr - 2013-01-28 @ 3:25 am

the whole things kinda dumb and kinda correct at the same time. The tower does resemble a minaret and the palace does resemble hagia sophia...but lets not forget the Hagia Sophia was originally a church not a mosque; and secondly these architectural features are usual to the fantasy genre which usually reaches back to the middle ages for inspiration (ie, most sword and sorcery Conan ect). Lucas wanted an eastern feel for Jabba's palace (water-pipe, slave girls, dias with cushions, servants with fans ect..) If I were them, I would take it as a compliment.

BTW I think Hagia Sophia is now a national museum and not even a mosque anymore. And besides, why is making reference to other culture's "racism".

regards

Joshua

featofstrength - 2013-01-24 @ 3:58 pm

Why didn't they say something 30 years ago if it is?

Without the internet to post videos of burning effigies of George Lucas, guess the best they could do is write a letter to the foreign press or Siskel and Ebert at the Movies.

'F' these guys!

hamsterboy - 2013-01-24 @ 4:15 am

Why didn't they say something 30 years ago if it is?

Hordak Rules - 2013-01-24 @ 3:02 am

It's Jabba's palace! Good lord, people take things in life far too seriously sometimes. Besides, Lucas has pretty much insulted every cultural race with some character from his movies, it was only fair to take a poke at the Muslims.

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