Retailer SHEIN Apologizes for Religious Appropriation

This week, the online retailer SHEIN was caught selling decorative rugs with names like “fringe trim carpet,” “fringe trim Greek fret carpet,” and “fringe trim graphic carpet.” It didn’t take long for this offensive “home decor” to spark rage as Muslims around the world saw carpets with illustrations of the Ka’bah and mosques being sold as decorations. In an incredibly tone-deaf marketing attempt, these rugs were depicted as simple decorations to be placed around the home. This religious appropriation was called out instantly on Instagram as it became clear that the mihrab designs were not accidental and that these “decorative carpets” were incredibly offensive to the billions of Muslims around the world. 

Khadija Rizvi, a 24-year-old journalism student, and activist saw these mats being sold online, not as sacred places to pray, but as decorations and immediately took to Instagram to share her thoughts. In a passionate Insta-post, she wrote, “I am disgusted. I am livid. @sheinofficial is also PROFITING off Muslim prayer mats (janemaz/sajadah) by selling them as ‘fringe trim carpets’ for people to use casually around the house. Not only is it disrespectful but they once again renamed and stole credit from a whole faith this time, by failing to label it as a Muslim prayer mat; which allows people to use it casually as a decorative mat.” The post was not expected to go viral but it didn’t take long for other activists to join in the conversation. 

The outrage was fierce; calls to boycott the store, Instagram posts, and angry customers took to the internet to share how they felt. Within a few days SHEIN issued an apology, “Since it was brought to our attention, we immediately removed the products from the site and asked the vendor to stop selling to others. We also formed a product review committee with staff from different cultures and religions so a mistake like this doesn’t happen again.” While this is a good start, many question how a mistake like this can be overlooked in the first place.

Rizvi, who is of Pakistani heritage took center stage on the issue, saying in an interview, “I shared my own outrage and it turns out tens of thousands feel the same way which led to the items being removed, we did it together,” she said. “As a journalist and activist, I believe it’s my duty to use my platform and voice to raise awareness of the corners people sometimes overlook in society.”