Muslim Group Burns Pampers Nappies Claiming Cat On Packages Resemble Prophet's Name

Pampers is facing outrage over a picture on their packaging after a Muslim group alleged they see the word "Mohammed" spelled out in the whiskers of the nappy brand’s cartoon cat mascot. Muslims in India were filmed burning piles of Pampers products and called for a boycott of the brand, reports said Thursday.

The lines illustrating the whiskers, nose, mouth and left eye of the smiling feline that appears on each nappy and on the brand’s packaging allegedly closely resembles the Islamic prophet “Mohammed’s” name when written in Urdu or Arabic.

According to several reports, members of the Darsgah Jihad-o-Shahadat group went on to lodge a formal complaint with police in the Indian city of Hyderabad on Tuesday over the alleged "insult" to Islam.

Several videos emerged of activists burning packets of Pampers Baby Dry Pants in protest in the streets of Hyderabad.

In a formal letter to police, the Muslim group claimed the "name of Prophet can be seen printed" on the packet in Arabic "even with the bare eye," adding it had "hurt the feelings of the entire Muslim community."

"Therefore we request your goodself to kindly immediately intervene into the matter forthwith and stop the sale and distribution of Baby Dry Pants of Pampers Company and take action against its manufacturers [sic], arrest them and punish them," the letter added.

One of the complainants, a member of the Muslim group, Shahnoor Khan, told the Deccan Chronicle the group believed the company "deliberately printed" the word on each nappy to "hurt the Muslim community" and thus spark community unrest.

Reactions on social media regarding the boycott were varied. While some joined the call for a Pampers ban, others insisted the cartoon was just an innocent drawing of a cat which was taken out of context.

One of the users, Nasar Alam Khan wrote: "Please request every Muslim brother and sister to boycott this product. It’s the only way to prove our strength and the love for our Prophet."

Another named Imtiyaz Naikoo commented: "Please grow up. It’s a cat with two eyes and a mustache."

While Azam Shariff said: "Maybe it’s the fault of the creative team but whatever the case is, directly or indirectly, it’s manifesting the name of (our) holy Prophet. That is a sheer desecration, it’s insulting. Don’t use the products until they change this, until they apologise."

On its website, Procter and Gamble say it is a global brand that has "served millions of babies since its launch in the Arabian Peninsula."

Procter and Gamble senior communications manager Scott Popham said: "I am aware of false and misleading information about Pampers being spread via social media channels such as Facebook and YouTube. The design on the Pampers Baby Dry Pants shows an innocent animated representation of a cat. It shows a cat’s mouth and whiskers like it is commonly portrayed in drawings and cartoons across the world, especially by little children."

"The intent behind the use of this cartoon is completely innocent and we would never intend to offend any person, religion or cultural belief. As a responsible corporate citizen, we respect all religions, cultures, customs and beliefs," Popham added.