Channel Five has removed an episode of Fireman Sam from their online streaming service after a character was seen treading on pages of the Quran.
The producer of the programme, HIT Entertainment, have apologised profusely and stated they have cancelled their contract with the Chinese animation studio who created the scenes.
The episode featured a character stepping and slipping over pages strewn across the floor, one page that floated in the air was seen to be a page from the Islamic holy book. Social media was quick to spot the moment with people like Miqdaad Versi, Assistant Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain, saying he was “baffled” by the scene. He pointed out that the page contained verses 13 to 26 of chapter 67 of the Quran.
HIT Entertainment, who also own brands Thomas the Tank Engine and Bob the Builder, released a statement saying, “It has been brought to our attention that in an episode of Fireman Sam an image of the Quran is briefly depicted. The page was intended to show illegible text and we deeply regret this error.
“We will no longer be working with the animation studio responsible for this mistake.
“In addition, we are taking immediate action to remove this episode from circulation and we are reviewing our content production procedures to ensure this never happens again.”
