DUBAI (AFP) — A huge number of shoes with the word "Allah" written in Arabic on the soles have been confiscated in the United Arab Emirates for being offensive to Muslims, a newspaper said Wednesday.
Consumer protection inspectors in Ras al-Khaimah, one of seven emirates that make up the UAE, took the action after a shopper lodged a complaint, Gulf News reported.
"The name Allah was clearly noticed on the soles of the shoes and they were seized and destroyed," Hamad al-Shamsi, a senior consumer protection official, told the English-language daily.
The manager of the store selling the shoes was handed a heavy fine and forced to sign a pledge not to "display products that hurt the sentiments of Muslims," the paper added.
Ras al-Khaimah is known for being conservative in comparison with its neighbouring emirate of Dubai, which is vying to become a regional tourist hub.
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