Lowe's officials, religious leaders discuss ad-pull in Muslim show

Religious leaders hand-delivered 200,000 signatures to Lowe's Home Improvement headquarters in Mooresville all over controversy about its advertisements during a Muslim show.

Lowe's officials pulled the ads from TLC's "All-American Muslim" on Dec. 5. While the Florida Family Association said they were against the show, groups all over the country said they were against Lowe's decision.

"We have no problem with the content of the show," Lowe's Vice-President Chris Ahern said Tuesday.

Lowe's officials stood side by side with local religious leaders, saying they support all faiths, including Islam.

Ahern said they pulled their ads from the show not because of the show itself -- but because of the controversy around it.

"It was what people were saying about the show," she said.

Lowe's officials also apologized.

"If we've done anything with an advertising decision to make people question our commitment to diversity, we apologize again," Ahern said.

The group of religious leaders carried the box of petitions collected by six organizations into Lowe's headquarters around 11:30 a.m.

The group wanted Lowe's to reinstate the ads but said afterward, they understood the company's decision not to.

"I think many of us would love for Lowe's to have continued to advertise, to continue to have supported that community but they have talked to us about their support of diversity," Pastor Russ Dean of Park Road Baptist Church said.

Eyewitness News asked if they talked about Muslims and their faith.

"Not specifically about Muslim-Americans," he said.

That's part of why Jibril Hough from the Islamic Center of Charlotte said he's disappointed.

"It's like if I slap you in the face and then I apologize that it hurts you," he said.

Hough said he believes Lowe's fed into the controversy by pulling the ads and wants the company to reach out to the Muslim community.

Eyewitness News reached out to one of the groups that put together the petitions from across the country. Members said they still want Lowe's to reverse the decision and because it has not, the company did not address their concerns.

Previous Stories: December 14, 2011: NJ Muslims to protest at Lowe's over pulled ad December 12, 2011: Local Muslims call Lowe's ad-pull 'bigotry'