Dutch safety ad causes fireworks
A series of Dutch government asd promoting firework safety has caused offence to some Muslims.
The viral ads feature an al-Qaeda like terrorist cell and their hilariously inept pyrotechnic mishaps. The group is called the Liberation Army Against Freedom.
Saad Saraf, the chief executive of multicultural marketing specialists Media Reach Advertising, is not amused:
What is the campaign hoping to achieve by depicting a negative stereotype of the Muslim community in a fireworks advert?
In fact, the ads depict a negative stereotype of terrorists. It is Mr Saraf who is idiotically bringing the “Muslim community” into it.
By contrast, Inayat Bunglawala of the Muslim Council of Britain is remarkably sensible about the whole thing:
I thought they were very humorous public safety films. Obviously there will always be some who find it to be in bad taste, but I thought it was done light-heartedly and funny and with clear educational value.
He is right. These guys deserve their own TV series:
LAAF Arms arriving:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGpeHfybM6Y[/youtube]
Mother of all rocket:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWmK4mpImWw[/youtube]
Eternal rains of fire:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0bjH1YHxA4[/youtube]
Muslims defending terrorist groups from mockery is a slippery slope that they really should avoid. Not that they will.
Does anyone reckon that taking offence is addictive?
‘Taking offence’ is the ‘grown-up’ equivalent of lying on the floor and drumming your heels, preferably in somewhere public, like a supermarket aisle, and screaming loudly for attention.
They are very very good. (The adverts, not the offended.)