The home improvement retail chain, Lowe’s has issued an apology following sharp criticism for its decision to no longer advertise on the TLC reality show, All-American Muslim.

Following the condemnation, Lowe’s issued this statement on its Facebook page: “It appears that we managed to step into a hotly contested debate with strong views from virtually every angle and perspective – social, political and otherwise – and we’ve managed to make some people very unhappy. We are sincerely sorry…We strongly support and respect the right of our customers, the community at large, and our employees to have different views. If we have made anyone question that commitment, we apologize.” To date the post has received more than 23,000 comments.  

The company yanked its advertisement after pressure from the Florida Family Association. According to the group, the eight part series is “propaganda that riskily hides the Islamic agenda’s clear and present danger to American liberties and traditional values.”  It issued email alerts recently, encouraging supporters to complain to companies who advertise on the program.

A representative from Lowe’s Executive Support, sent a letter to the Florida Family Association’s Executive Director, David Caton that stated: “Lowe’s has strict guidelines that govern the placement of our advertising…While we continue to advertise on various cable networks, including TLC, there are certain programs that do not meet Lowe’s advertising guidelines, including the show you brought to our attention.  Lowe’s will no longer be advertising on that program.”

Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons has been vocal in expressing dismay about Lowe’s decision. On Monday he tweeted about attempting to buy ads to support the program. Simmons plans on advertising his own prepaid Visa card.  

The show features five local Muslim families from southeast Michigan, and helps breakdown the hate and misconceptions surrounding Islam. It offers an intimate portrayal into the lives of the country’s Muslim community-much needed during an era where Islam is highly misunderstood.  Lowe’s didn’t return calls as of press time to respond to the action.

Democratic State Sen. Ted W. Lieu of Caifornia’s 28th district issued a letter to the Chief Executive Officer of Lowe’s, Robert A Niblock calling on the company to repeal its action and apologize to American Muslims.

“Lowe’s action is profoundly ignorant. Islam is a peaceful religion practiced by over 1.5 billion people, including Americans across our great nation and Lowe’s own employees,” Lieu said. He also stated that if Lowe’s continues “its religious bigotry” he would encourage boycotts against the appliance store and look into legislative remedies.  

“Lowe’s religious discrimination is the equivalent of a company asserting that it is pulling advertising from the Christian Broadcast Network’s 700 Club because the program somehow “riskily hides” the agenda of Christian radicalized groups such as Aryan Nation,” Lieu said.

American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) Legal Director Abed Ayoub said, “The Muslim-American community has nearly $200 billion dollars in spending power — one of the highest totals for any minority group in the United States. At a time when many corporations are courting the American-Muslim market, it makes absolutely no sense at all that any corporation, including Lowe’s — that have multiple locations in metropolitan areas with high Arab and Muslim American populations — would take such action”

ADC released this statement, “Sadly corporations, such as Lowe’s, have succumbed to the idiocracy of such garbage campaigns, which are orchestrated by groups and organizations which lack credibility, legitimacy, and are founded on the basic notions of bigotry and racism reminiscent of a shameful era in this country’s history.”

Congressman John Conyers (D-Mich) said the Muslim and Arab Americans in Dearborn, the state of Michigan and around the nation have often been targets of such intolerance. “I am disappointed that a company like Lowe’s would fall prey to the intolerance and fundamentally un-American values preached by a small, but vocal minority.  Lowe’s Companies, Inc. should unequivocally apologize to the Muslim and Arab American community and strongly repudiate the intolerant messages espoused by anti-Muslim groups,” Conyers said.

A statement released by the Asian American Center for Advocating Justice reads: “Lowe’s reaction gives credence to these anti-Muslim sentiments and contributes to a negative atmosphere of intolerance towards minority communities and may incite hate crimes and related violence.”