Islamic leaders promote Muslim alternative to 'corrupting' Peppa Pig
Islamic leaders have slammed Peppa Pig saying it is corrupting the nation's youth and have encouraged Muslim families to embrace a Muslim alternative instead.
The head of Australia’s National Imams Council Sheikh Shady Alsuleiman wants parents to embrace a Muslim alternative that teaches Islamic principles, The Australian has reported.
Instead of Peppa and her mates, the council has thrown its support behind a show created by One4Kids, a western Sydney company producing children's shows with Islamic themes.
A fundraising campaign has been launched to fund Barakah Hills which tells the story of the Abdullah family, which lives in a predominantly Muslim population.
In a forum about Peppa Pig hosted on the One4Kids' Zaky and friends Facebook page followers attacked the British program's "moral values".
“Peppa Pig is very rude," one supporter posted.
"Please create a cartoon that teaches kids good moral values i.e. sharing, neighbour rights, when it is time for prayer, they should stop everything and go n pray 5 times.
"No lying, no hitting, no shouting, getting dressed, obey parents, fasting."
Some commenters on the page also said the show's themes were "not good" for children and could be "teaching kids to be snobs".
A trailer for Barakah Hills was launched on the One4Kids Facebook page in November.
“Barakah Hills represents an ideal Muslim community and is targeted to a post-toddler, pre-school demographic of children,” the post said.
“The show's main objective is to show children what it is like to be a practicing Muslim as well as a good citizen in their community.
“Children will learn everything from how to have good manners, to how to get actively involved with community projects.”
It’s not the first time the beloved pig cartoon has faced scrutiny in Australia.
An episode of Peppa Pig was banned in 2015 following complaints about a cameo from a character called Mr Skinnylegs, an animated spider that promoted the message that spiders aren’t dangerous.
Living in Australia, where spiders can kill, it was deemed Mr Skinnylegs and his pro-spider stance was unsuitable for a national audience.
The episode never went to air in Australia.
