000345 Burger King Ad Angers MuslimsMarch 18, 2000Miami - Burger King has agreed to drop a character named Rasheed from a radio commercial after an Islamic group complained that the ad suggested that a Muslim was eating pork in what would be a violation of religious law. The ad featured the character promoting the chain's bacon-cheddar sandwich. The Council on American-Islamic Relations said it sent a letter to Burger King after being contacted by six Muslims who complained about the radio spot. “They were offended that someone with a Muslim name would be praising a sandwich that contains pork,” said Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Washington-based group. The council said Tuesday that Burger King agreed to take the ad off the air. Messages left after business hours at Burger King's headquarters were not returned until Wednesday, when company spokesman Rob Doughty said the ad would be modified. “All we agreed to was to change the name of the character,” Doughty said. He said a new name had not yet been selected. Doughty also defended the use of the name Rasheed, saying it was “not necessarily Muslim, but also African-American.” In the ads, Rasheed reads a poem listing the virtues of Burger King's bacon- cheddar Whopper sandwich. The character also greets others with “peace” and is introduced to “brothers and sisters” in a coffee house. Muslims greet each other in by saying “peace be upon you” in Arabic and often refer to each other as “brothers” and “sisters.”
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