A children’s book that drew criticism for calling people in turbans and niqabs unkind has been withdrawn from sale.
Remaining copies of The Blue Eye – part of the Biff, Chip and Kipper series – were destroyed by its publisher, Oxford University Press (OUP).
The book was pulled from the press in March after a review, OUP said.
“We are taking steps to remove any products that are no longer suitable from our collection,” a spokeswoman said.
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In the 2001 book, Biff and Wilf are transported to a “spooky” town by magic.
Below an illustration of a bustling marketplace full of people in turbans and niqabs – a type of Islamic veil – Biff says, “Let’s stay together…People don’t seem very friendly.”
OUP said that phrase was changed in 2012 to read, “It would be easy to get lost in such a crowded place.”
But an image of the original version of this page has been gaining traction on social media in recent weeks.
Some have described it that way “inappropriate”during others said it was an example of Islamophobia.
The OUP spokeswoman said: “We regularly review and change our track list to ensure it is current, diverse, inclusive and reflective of the world we live in.”
Publishers are striving to create “more inclusive content,” she added, and will continue to seek to improve their existing and new titles.
Written by Roderick Hunt and illustrated by Alex Brychta, the Biff, Chip and Kipper books have been read by millions of children around the world.
The first books were published in 1986 and there are now more than 800 titles.
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