Zara bosses forced to withdraw 'Swastika' handbags from shelves

[caitlin1214]

This thread made me think about a discussion I had once when the movie version of The Dukes of Hazzard came out.


In the movie, there's a car called the General Lee, and the Confederate Flag is painted on its roof.



I said that I, personally, don't automatically think of the Confederate flag as bad. It depends on the context. When embroidered on a pillow, it means Southern Pride.

When painted on a pick up truck driven by white supremacists, it means racism.



It's difficult because while you want to be educated on the origins of the swastika and the Confederate flag, you need to be sensitive that there are huge groups of people who were affected by people using those symbols in a negative way.

 

[purplekitty]

e.

When painted on a pick up truck driven by white supremacists, it means racism.



It's difficult because while you want to be educated on the origins of the swastika and the Confederate flag, you need to be sensitive that there are huge groups of people who were affected by people using those symbols in a negative way.

That is completely untrue and is a HUGE misconception. The confederate flag is by no means racist. There is a whole story to it. I don't have time right now to explain about it, but I will log on later and explain it.

 

[cgsprings]

"It's difficult because while you want to be educated on the origins of the swastika and the Confederate flag, you need to be sensitive that there are huge groups of people who were affected by people using those symbols in a negative way."

That is a huge understatement! Every American of the Greatest Generation was affected by the Nazis!! This entire country and, in fact, the World was affected by the Nazis!!(India is part of the world!). The symbol that epitomizes the evil of the Nazis is abhorrant in every regard and in no way should it be popularized in modern-day culture!! To have uninformed women carrying this symbol on a purse is nauseating and a HUGE thumbs down for those who are trying to slip this symbol back into today's culture!!
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[arkouneo]

That's not even a nice looking bag.

 

[caitlin1214]

That is completely untrue and is a HUGE misconception. The confederate flag is by no means racist. There is a whole story to it. I don't have time right now to explain about it, but I will log on later and explain it.

No, it's not racist, but it can be construed as racist.


I probably should have said "When painted on a pick up truck driven by white supremacists, it's misused as a symbol racism."


(I've read the history on it . . . . I wanted to prepare my answer, but I guess I misspoke.)

It was inspired by St. George's Cross, isn't it?

 

[caitlin1214]

That is a huge understatement! Every American of the Greatest Generation was affected by the Nazis!! This entire country and, in fact, the World was affected by the Nazis!!(India is part of the world!). The symbol that epitomizes the evil of the Nazis is abhorrant in every regard and in no way should it be popularized in modern-day culture!! To have uninformed women carrying this symbol on a purse is nauseating and a HUGE thumbs down for those who are trying to slip this symbol back into today's culture!!
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I'm not saying it should be popularized in popular culture and I'm not saying it's okay for young women to be carrying a purse like this. Yes, it was made in India. Yes, it was their symbol first and means something positive over there. In England and in Western culture, that symbol has huge negative connotations and that girl was right to return that purse.

 

[cgsprings]

I'm not saying it should be popularized in popular culture and I'm not saying it's okay for young women to be carrying a purse like this. Yes, it was made in India. Yes, it was their symbol first and means something positive over there. In England and in Western culture, that symbol has huge negative connotations and that girl was right to return that purse.

Excuse me but restricting the impact to England and Western culture is mind boggling! IT WAS THE WORLD THAT WAS AFFECTED!! The swastika is a disgusting symbol of EVIL regardless of what it's original purpose was. Any designer (from India or anywhere else) that uses it in their products should be shunned and their products shunned!

 

[kellykapoor]

The swastika is a disgusting symbol of EVIL regardless of what it's original purpose was. Any designer (from India or anywhere else) that uses it in their products should be shunned and their products shunned!

The swastika is a religious symbol of MY religion. Calling it disgusting is highly offensive. I understand it was used by Nazis, however, it is still used actively in Hindu ceremonies and rites, so please be more thoughtful about your choice of words.

 

[sarah2808]

I think this discussion is going to get heated and I worry about adding my two cents. You are both right, but a major store like Zara that does business in the west has to know the connotations of the symbols they are selling regradless of what it means in the country where it was made. It is sad that a symbol that was originally used for positive messages is now associated with evit but it is what it is. Too many people died innocently under that sign to ever go back in history now and worry about what it originally meant. Is it fair? Well, probably not entirely, but it is the way of the world that things are continually changing. Fashion is supposed to make people feel better about themselves. I can't believe that a major chain could make such an error.

 

[Liberté]

Excuse me but restricting the impact to England and Western culture is mind boggling! IT WAS THE WORLD THAT WAS AFFECTED!! The swastika is a disgusting symbol of EVIL regardless of what it's original purpose was. Any designer (from India or anywhere else) that uses it in their products should be shunned and their products shunned!

You're blowing the WW2 out of proportion. It was a world war because the western countries practiacally claimed ownership of most territories of the world at the time. Yes, India was under british influence, but it was not really a part of the war. I doubt there were many there who got the nazi symolism at all. The nazi allies in Japan did not use a swastika, so people in japanese occupied areas will probaly have less knowledge of it too and the symbolism will not be as strong.

This reminds me of myteacher who all the time kept reminding us of the worst horrors of the WW2 that was of course th extermination that took place under the nazi regime, but failed to ever mention (maybe because it was not a part of the curriculum, which is even more disturbing) the horrors that tok place in the japanese occupied areas and the effects of the traumatizing atomic bombs, both of which were in many ways just as bad as what took place in nazi areas. When I found out about it later, I was quite shocked at how little we actually learn in school outside of what goes on outside our own "sphere" and how this cna lead to quite grave misconceptions...

Edit: sarah2808 I agree with you this is for the western market and of course releasing those bags in europe /uS is a great faux pas..

 

[sarah2808]

The swastika is a religious symbol of MY religion. Calling it disgusting is highly offensive. I understand it was used by Nazis, however, it is still used actively in Hindu ceremonies and rites, so please be more thoughtful about your choice of words.

Just an add on. ^^^You have a very valid point, and I do no want you to think that I meant that Hindu people should stop using the sign in their ceremonies and prayers. I am strictly talking about selling the symbol on a product in a major chain that designs products for the West.

 

[caitlin1214]

The symbol itself is not disgusting. What's disgusting is the way the Nazis used that symbol.

 

[caitlin1214]

Just an add on. ^^^You have a very valid point, and I do no want you to think that I meant that Hindu people should stop using the sign in their ceremonies and prayers. I am strictly talking about selling the symbol on a product in a major chain that designs products for the West.

Well said.

 

[friponne]

ITA, it was a HUGE oversight from the manufacturer. You can't carry a bag like that without looking like a Nazi. I only wish they would withdraw the communist symbols (che guevara- lenin- etc. tshirts, badges, etc...) the same way as well, they make me feel equally sick. (Yes I had first-hand experience of the evils of communism...)