Chinese Jeans Anger Iranians

by Annina Bergman | September 15, 2009 at 10:51 am

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A Chinese clothing manufacturer has caused a stir in Iran by selling jeans with a sentence from the Qur'an inscribed on them. The sentence reads "In the name of God, the compassionate, the merciful" (Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim in Arabic). The Iranians are insulted, as the words are located on the back pockets of the jeans, and as such get sat on.

Three businessmen have been arrested for importing the jeans, and the garments have been confiscated by police. The incident occurred in Tehran, which makes is embarrassing for Iran, as Beijing is Tehran's largest trading partner, and China has vetoed the United Nations from sanctioning Iran due to its nuclear program.

"In Islam, Allah is a respected word that you need to have ablutions before saying. Now it is embroidered on the sitting place of these jeans. Worse, they are sold in Tehran, which many would like to call the heart of the Islamic world."