Groening defends 'Simpsons' terror plot

Matt Groening has defended a new episode of The Simpsons in which a Muslim family are suspected of being terrorists.

The plot involves Homer Simpson becoming convinced that his new Middle Eastern neighbours are planning an attack on a local shopping mall. In one scene, the Simpsons invite the family for dinner, only for Homer to call Allah "Oliver" and Islamic holy book The Koran "The Corona".

However, creator Matt Groening insisted that the episode is simply attempting to deal with cultural issues through its medium, saying: "Cartoons deal in stereotypes. We try to be sensitive."

Last year, the programme was criticised after a plot saw Homer attempt to vote for Barack Obama in the US Presidential election, only for a corrupt ballot machine to register for Republican rival John McCain.