The baby doll coos, giggles and utters sounds like “mama.” But to some ears, it is baby's first phrase – “Islam is the light” – that is stirring up controversy.
Is it holiday shoppers mistaking the sounds from a cheap speaker or a case of toy tinkering?
Fisher-Price insisted that its Little Mommy Cuddle & Coo doll does not deliver any hidden messages. The only scripted word is “mama” and the doll features realistic baby sounds, including cooing, giggling and baby babble with no sentence structure, the company said.
“There is a sound that may resemble something close to the word ‘night, right, or light.' To avoid any potential misinterpretation, we have eliminated that segment of the sound file from future production,” spokeswoman Juliette Reashor wrote in an e-mail.
“Because the original soundtrack is compressed into a file that can be played through an inexpensive toy speaker, actual sounds may be imprecise or distorted.”
Ms. Reashor said there are no plans to discontinue making the dolls or take them off the shelves, adding that the company is confident in the quality standards of its dolls.
But others aren't as convinced.
Bonnie Goldstone returned two of the dolls this past weekend that she had bought for her young granddaughters. “I just want a doll that cooed and said ‘Mama',” she said yesterday as she shopped at a Toys “R” Us in Langley, B.C., for new Christmas presents that don't say a word.
Her daughter, who lives in Texas, told her of the controversy brewing in the United States and to listen to the dolls. Ms. Goldstone wondered if someone in the factory had tinkered with the toys.
“Once you realize what it's saying, it's very clear. They are so impressionable at that age. I just didn't feel right about it,” she said.
Several videos of the doll have made their way onto YouTube. Dressed in a hat and a onesie, the doll moves its head and tiny arms while giggling and saying what sounds like “Islam is the light.”
Daud Ismail, past president the British Columbia Muslim Association, doesn't understand what the fuss is all about. He and his wife have bought four of dolls in recent days for their grandchildren. He listened closely to what the doll was saying and said he heard it utter the words “Islam is the light.”
“It's a great doll. It's a cute little doll,” Mr. Ismail said yesterday. “I don't know what's the problem with that [what the doll allegedly says]. If a Christian says ‘Jesus is the light' or ‘God is the light,' it doesn't offend the Muslims.”
He said there are some toys in the store that he doesn't like, but that he lives in a free world and people are allowed to buy whatever toys they choose. “I don't make a big deal and cry about it. I just don't buy them.”
Mr. Ismail added: “Kids will love it. And the reason I bought four is because I like it and I think if Muslims come to know the toys say ‘Islam is the light' then I think they're going to buy more.”
Jennifer Albano, a spokeswoman with Toys “R” Us, said Fisher-Price has not issued a recall and stores have no reason to discontinue the sale of the dolls. “We have no plans to remove the product from our stores at this time,” she said.
