A Democratic member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights has written a letter to Lowe’s President Robert Niblock about his company’s controversial decision to pull advertising from the show ‘All-American Muslim’ following a campaign by a right-wing fringe group.
“Lowe’s appears to have decided to withdraw advertising support for ‘All-American Muslim’ in response to a letter-writing campaign by a group known as the Florida Family Association (FFA),” Commission Michael Yaki wrote in the letter, which was written in his individual capacity as a member of the commission.
“I am extremely disappointed in your company’s decision to withdraw advertising support based on the bigotry of a few. While Lowe’s and the FFA may be free to exercise speech rights in this manner, I believe Lowe’s’ actions in this case was at best cowardly and at worst complicit in a campaign of hate against Muslim Americans,” Yaki wrote.
Yaki asked Niblock to provide more basic information to him and the public about their decision.
“Specifically, is the advertising policy referred to by your representatives in withdrawing sponsorship from ‘All-American Muslim’ a new or standing policy of Lowe’s?” Yaki wrote. “Also, what is the scope of the policy — does it, for example, apply to any show Lowe’s sponsors that has objections from other organizations? If not, please explain why, in this instance, your company decided to withdraw support.”
Read the full letter here.
