Toddler's toy plane plays Islamic prayer instead of sound effects

BELLINGHAM, Wash., Dec. 30 (UPI) -- The family of a Washington state 3-year-old said they were shocked when the boy's toy jet played an Islamic prayer instead of the expected airplane sound.

Bjorn Thorpe of Whatcom County said the boy was given a WolVol Bump & Go Action Electric F16 Military Fighter Jet Aircraft Airplane Toy with Lights and Sounds from Amazon and the family was shocked when the toddler tested out the toy's sound effects.

"We put the batteries in and didn't get what we expected," Thorpe told KING-TV. "I do respect other religions, but it's not the right situation to have it on a children's toy."

The recorded chanting was confirmed by Nadeem Israr, president of the Islamic Society of Whatcom County, as a Muslim prayer.

"This is a prayer you're supposed to say when you're performing Hajj," he said, referencing the traditional pilgrimage to Mecca.

Toy company WolVol said the manufacturer of the toys must have shipped them a bad batch. Reviews posted on Amazon indicate the Thorpe family's toy wasn't the only one with an erroneous sound effect.

A McDonald's Happy Meal toy tying into the Minions movie came under fire during the summer after parents accused the figure of uttering a profane phrase instead of the character's trademark gibberish.