Почему тэги заменяются на символы?

  $property['external_xml'] ='<user id="2">';
      $property['external_xml'] .='<avatar >/upload/users/</avatar>';
      $property['external_xml'] .='<name id="2">tigeran</name>';
      $property['external_xml'] .='</user>';
      $InformationSystem->ShowInformationSystemItem($information_item_id, $xsl_name,  $property);

<external_xml>&lt;user id=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;avatar &gt;/upload/users/&lt;/avatar&gt;&lt;name id=&quot;2&quot;&gt;tigeran&lt;/name&gt;&lt;/user&gt;</external_xml>