⚠️ Historical Documentation Notice
This document is part of a historical archive and is presented for scholarly research and educational purposes.
The content reflects historical perspectives and should be understood within its historical context.
August 12, 2003, 4:33 AM EDT
Hong Kong Chain
Drops Nazi-Themed Clothing
By DIRK BEVERIDGE Associated Press Writer
HONG KONG — A Hong Kong fashion company has removed Nazi-themed clothing from its
14 stores after complaints from Israeli and German diplomats in the territory.
Israeli Consul General Eli Avidar had denounced the company for what he called “immoral actions” by launching a sales campaign that
“totally desecrates the deaths of millions of people under the Nazi regime and legitimizes evil.”
German Consul General Heinrich Beuth also complained.
After receiving complaints last week, the company removed all Nazi-themed store decorations, including flags and a propaganda video, but the clothing remained until Monday when executives met and decided to remove the merchandise.
“We don’t want to upset anybody,” said
Deborah Cheng, marketing manager of the retailer, which goes by the Internet-style name
.
“We were a bit politically insensitive. We don’t wish to make any race unhappy about it,” she said
Tuesday.
One of the T-shirts for
sale had a portrait of Nazi leader Adolf
Hitler standing on a laurel. Decorations in
the stores included red banners adorned with
swastikas and a sign that resembled a Third
Reich symbol — an eagle above a
swastika.
One outlet used a film projector to show Nazi propaganda footage.
Cheng had said earlier the company did not believe many Hong Kong Chinese customers would be offended, but acknowledged Tuesday that executives had not counted on getting such a response from foreigners.
Disputes over Nazi symbols as marketing tools have emerged before in Asia, where many people are not as sensitive to the Holocaust as Europeans and
Americans are.
In April, soft drink giant Coca-Cola pulled a promotional robot figurine adorned with what appeared to be Nazi swastikas following criticism from a Jewish leader in Hong Kong.
Taiwan’s ruling party used an image of Hitler in television ads two years ago, but withdrew it after fierce criticism from Jewish groups.
Copyright ©
2003, The Associated Press
Israel outrage at Hitler and Nazi execution pictures in href=”https://fpp.co.uk/Letters/History/Vuksanovich020602.html” target=”_blank”>Paul antisemitism provoked by such bans | Amazon still banning sales at request of German justice ministry | voted one of the 100 books of the 20th century — href=”https://fpp.co.uk/Hitler/MeinKampf/banned4.html” target=”_blank”>Czech publisher charged | for sale, in Arabic | a blueprint of Hitler’s plans for WW2? | href=”https://fpp.co.uk/Letters/History/Fowler301101.html” target=”_blank”>H
Hong Kong karaoke bar
Our dossier on Germany
Problems with Hitler’s Mein Kampf: Reader finds Mein Kampf online | Hitler got rich on book and photo royalties, alleges
German TV film |
Vuksanovich asks: You haven’t read Mein Kampf? |
Aug 1999: German
Government tries to ban | Simon
Wiesenthal Center tries to ban book from giant
Internet bookstores | Internet comment on
banned from Frankfurt book fair |
Swedes fail to ban |
Royalties to go to unspecified US charity |
A Fowler is indignant that Mr Irving has not read it | Canada bookstore chain bans | Unbanning
Hitler: the secret history of Mein
Kampf