Chinese Allah Ass Jeans Anger Iranians

How's that for a headline?

A Chinese clothing manufacturer probably thought it was on to a winner by exporting jeans bearing the Islamic expression "In the name of God, the compassionate, the merciful" to Iran. But an otherwise sound marketing ploy was undone by one embarrassing flaw: the phrase (Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim in Arabic), which graces each of the Qur'an's 114 chapters, was prominently displayed on the pockets of the jeans' backsides, something likely to be seen as disrespectful by devout Muslims.

The perceived slight, first reported in the Iranian media, prompted a firm response from the police who announced they had seized the garments and arrested three businessmen said to have imported them.

The country of origin is embarrassing for Iranian authorities, given the close political and economic relationship between Iran and China. Beijing is Tehran's biggest trading partner and has used its veto on the UN security council to protect Iran from further sanctions over its nuclear programme.