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27 Jul, 2016 11:51

Children's TV show ‘Fireman Sam’ feels the heat after character treads on Koran (VIDEO)

Children's TV show ‘Fireman Sam’ feels the heat after character treads on Koran (VIDEO)

The beloved British children’s television show 'Fireman Sam' has become embroiled in controversy following an episode which appears to show a character stepping on a page of the Koran.

The scene, from an episode titled 'Troubled Waters,' shows a character named Elvis slipping on a piece of paper while carrying a tray of tea.

As the paper flies into the air, a page from the Koran is briefly seen, which then floats out of view.

Mattel, which produces the show, apologised and said it did not believe it was done “maliciously.”

The episode was first broadcast in October 2014 on Channel 5, but the scene featuring the Koran was only spotted recently.

The assistant secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain, Miqdaad Versi, tweeted: “I have no idea what went through the producer’s minds when they thought this was a good idea #baffled.

He also claimed to have identified the page as “Surah Mulk (67), verses 13-26.

According to an online version of the Koran, the page includes a verse which states: “The chastisement of Hell awaits those who disbelieve in their Lord. What a wretched destination!

A spokesperson for Mattel said the company would no longer use the animation studio concerned.

It has been brought to our attention that in an episode of Fireman Sam (Series 9, Episode 7), an image of the Koran is briefly depicted. The page was intended to show illegible text and we deeply regret this error. We sincerely apologise for any distress or offense it may have caused,” the spokesperson said.

We will no longer be working with the animation studio responsible for this mistake. In addition, we are taking immediate action to remove this episode from circulation and we are reviewing our content production procedures to ensure this never happens again.

Fireman Sam creator David Jones was held for questioning at Gatwick Airport in 2012 after he asked a security officer why a veiled Muslim woman was not checked.

If I was wearing this scarf over my face, I wonder what would happen,” he said, as he was being patted down for triggering the metal detector.

Jones later defended his remark in an interview with BBC Radio 4’s 'Today' program.

It was a quip. And I expected the guy to say: ‘Yeah, I know what you mean mate’ but when I got to the end and was putting all my stuff back on, I was bagged by a security guard.”

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