Is this a case of cultural insensitivity? Sheer ignorance and/or stupidity? A deliberate "political" comment meant as an insult to the victims of the Holocaust (which, despite the Iranian President's polemics, is well documented historically)? Frankly, I have no idea - so I'm publishing the article without further comment.
From TotallyJewish.com
By Marc Shoffman
October 11, 2007
October 11, 2007
Holocaust Education Trust Chairman Lord Greville Janner has vowed to put pressure on Turkish officials after a TJ reader discovered Nazi chess pieces in an Istanbul market.
The figures of Third Reich soldiers, including Adolf Hitler as the king, were found in the Grand Bizarre of Istanbul, the Turkish capital, by the holidaymaker last week.
He told TJ: “I was shocked, angry and outraged.
“The Turkish people that we met were all very nice, we learnt how some of them managed to save a few Jews from the Nazis and they have good relations with Israel.
“One day Turkey may be welcomed into the Common Market but, before that happens, much more sensitivity to the realities of the Holocaust and the evil symbolism of the swastika should be appreciated. In my opinion, such material should not be put on public display.”
Lord Janner said: “These chess sets are revolting. They trivialise the Nazi murderers and show a total lack of sensitivity to the memories of their victims. I am contacting colleagues in Turkey and hope that pressure can be brought so that these so-called games will be taken off sale as soon as possible."
It comes as an Indian furnishing company agreed to withdraw a line of bedspreads called the Nazi collection after complaints from the Jewish community.
Although the owner Jagdish Todi insisted the name stood for New Arrival Zone for India and had nothing to do with the Third Reich, the logo for the line was a swastika. He has since issued an apology and scrapped the name.Meanwhile a Dubai property company has been criticised for using an image of Adolf Hitler to promote Real Estate.
The advert, which appeared in a daily newspaper in the United Arab Emirates contained a picture of the Nazi leader alongside the phrase “Conqueror, the world is yours.”
