A Coca-Cola advertisement expected to air during the Super Bowl Sunday offended Arab-Americans, who called the commercial racist and said it portrayed the group as backwards in society.

A teaser for the video featured an Arab leading camels through a desert. The man sees cowboys, Las Vegas showgirls and a motley crew race by him to reach a large bottle of Coke. In the ad, Coke asked viewers to vote online which character should win the race. The online site, however, does not allow viewers to vote for the Arab character.

"Why is it that Arabs are always shown as either oil-rich sheiks, terrorists, or belly dancers?" said Warren David, president of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee ( ADC).

Imam Ali Siddiqui, president of the Muslim Institute for Interfaith Studies, said the commercial "is racist" and portrayed "Arabs as backward and foolish Camel Jockeys, and they have no chance to win in the world," hinting at the fact that the Arab character is not eligible to win the race in the online poll.

Coke said in its defense that the ad's characters were "a nod to movies of the past." CBS declined to comment, according to The Christian Science Monitor, but Coca-Cola spokesperson Lauren Thompson said Coke was after a "cinematic" approach with the ad's storyline.

"Coca-Cola is an inclusive brand enjoyed by all demographics," she said in an email. "We illustrate our core values, from fun and refreshment to happiness, inspiration and optimism across all of our marketing communications."

Abed Ayoub, ADC's director of legal and policy affairs, asked "how can we fix this if possible" before the ad airs during the Super Bowl, in front of an expected audience of millions.

"What message is Coke sending with this?" he said. "The Arab is held to a different standard when compared to the other characters in the commercial. Coke should understand and respect their consumers and have a better understanding of the market they are sharing."

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