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You don’t typically associate Legos with racism, but the company has come under fire over its “Jabba’s Palace” Star Wars that some say is offensive.

The Lego racism claims come from the Turkish Cultural Community (TCC) of Austria, which railed against the company for a set it feels is offensive.

The group says Jabba’s Palace is rife with negative and one-dimensional stereotypes, and the TCC outlined the reasons in a statement on their website:

“The terrorist Jabba the Hutt likes to smoke a hookah and have his victims killed.”

 

“It is clear that the ugly figure of Jabba and the whole scene smacks of racial prejudice and vulgar insinuations against Asians and Orientals as people with deceitful and criminal personalities.”

Alleging blatant Lego racism, the group says this threatens “peaceful coexistence of different cultures in Europe” and urges parents “not to buy toys of war or toys of discrimination.”

Specifically, the TCC says Jabba’s Palace appears to closely resemble the Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul and the Jami al-Kabir mosque in Beirut.

It therefore reinforces negative stereotypes about the Middle East, the group says. The statement threatens legal action if Lego does not withdraw the toys.

Lego’s response: “The Lego Star Wars product Jabba’s Palace does not reflect any actually existing buildings, people, or the mentioned mosque.”

Do you find the Lego set racist?