Not everythigng on the Internet is a case of “what you see is what you get.” Because while yes, a Turkey-based company did, in fact, feature a photo of a rather hirsute man in its ad for hair removal products, it says it “didn’t know” that the fellow is a former Al-Qaeda leader and accused terrorist.

Below, the ad featuring Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, taken in 2003 when he was captured in Pakistan for his alleged part in planning the 9/11 attacks.

The ad’s copy reportedly translates to: “Waiting won’t get rid of that hair!”

But see, that photo is some kind of popular meme that all the cool kids like, the company explains, reports the Hurriyet Daily News (via the Daily Star). It just wanted to use the photo “for his hair, not terrorism,” a spokesperson for the cosmetics company said.

“We didn’t know that he was a terrorist,” the rep said. “This image is in popular use in Turkish memes on the Internet. The guy is quite hairy, so we thought his body was a good fit for our ad.

“We didn’t want to imply anything political. We didn’t know that it could become an international story. I repeat: We featured him for his hair, not terrorism.”

Al-Qaeda mastermind featured for ‘hairs, not terrorism’ in cosmetic ad: Turkish company [Hurriyet Daily News]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.