Ikea 'sorry' for erasing women in Saudi book
Published: 1 Oct 12 17:10 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/43554/20121001/
Swedish furniture giant Ikea has apologized for removing all the women from their Saudi Arabian catalogue, following public outrage in Sweden including the EU minister slamming the action as “medieval”.
- Ikea 'erases' women from Saudi catalogue (1 Oct 12)
- Ikea pulls Pussy Riot protest pic (24 Sep 12)
The altered images caused a stir when revealed in Swedish media, prompting an apology from Ikea’s head office in Sweden.
“We apologize and understand that people are upset,” said Ulrika Englesson Sandman, a spokeswoman for the Inter IKEA Systems, which owns the Ikea trademark and concept, to the Expressen newspaper.
“This is really unfortunate. We have been in contact with Saudi Arabia to discuss this issue. It should be possible to balance Ikea’s values so that we don’t discriminate people. At the same time, we try to adapt to the cultures and the legislation that are there," she told Sveriges Radio (SR).
The removal of the women, including a young girl who was pictured studying at her desk, has prompted a strong response from many prominent women in Sweden:
"You can't remove or airbrush women out of reality. If Saudi Arabia does not allow women to be seen or heard, or to work, they are letting half their intellectual capital go to waste," Swedish minister for trade, Ewa Björling, said in a statement.
"It's impossible to retouch women out of reality," she told the Metro newspaper.
Her sentiment was echoed by Sweden's European Union Minister Birgitta Ohlsson, who branded the incident "medieval" on the social networking site Twitter.
Even the image of a female designer who helped design the company's "PS" line of home furnishings has been removed from the Saudi catalogues.
Saudi Arabia applies strict rules of gender segregation, banning women from driving and requiring them to have permission from a male guardian before travelling or receiving medical care.
Ikea's Saudi franchise partner currently operates three stores in the country, where it has seen "double digit" yearly growth over the past five years, according to its website.
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1. boycott ALL countries that apply any kind of segregation... believe it or not, this kind of pressure works, ask a south african...
2. if your moral fortitude isn't as strong as your thirst for the saudi blood riyal, perhaps you can try recalling all your catalgoues, reprinting them with original photos and distributing them once more... maybe with an editorial note that says "this special edition of the ikea catalogue celebrates women in their pyjamas and girls with pens in their hands - long may these images reign and not be hidden by some made-up religious dribble that mascarades the control games that men play to feel superior and propogate an apartheid society"
3. failing that, at least be honest and add in some new women in the corners of each shot, covered head to toe in blue garbage sacks with slits for their happy eyes (so that you can tell they really enjoy the freedom their menfolk have and are glad they're not on show and whipping up the devil by daring to reveal themselves)
Normally I criticize the hypersensitivity to images that is part of Swedish culture (rippíng down posters of a children's movie, the idiotic waste of tax payer money to rip down and replace the crosswalk signs of Uppsala because the woman's silhouette was a bit attractive, etc..), and on the surface this case is a bit of a stretch (after all, this is a marketing decision in a foreign land ... do all SUV photos in the US now have to include a woman in the passenger seat, and a girl studying in the back seat?), but the promotion of women's rights, freedoms, access to education, and the eventual erradication of burqu'as worldwide (the sooner the better) is a worthy cause, particularly in Saudi Arabia, and presumably ikea's sales there will not plummet as a result of partial or complete boycott by consumers that might be caused a new catalogue, so I say: new catalogue.
Not sure that an image or two of woman brushing her teeth in an Ikea catalogue will lead to burqu'a burning parties, but no harm either for Ikea (and all other western companies) to disseminate a slow and steady stream images of women and their daughters leading normal lives.
You you got it right. Richard Dawkins said in "God Delusion" that if South Africans would announce apartheid a part fo their religion and heritage, it would exist to these days.
This actually would not be so crazy far from the truth, as the black tribes in South Africa were able to maintain their traditions and language DUE to apartheid, whereas most other colonized african countries were completely overrun with european languages, religion and culture.
Islamic countries are using brainwash in order to get popular support of their population of women oppression, as well as religious, ethnical and sexual minorities oppression. There is a total regression of that world into medieval barbarism, where people are into burning embassies, as a protest against others saying that they burn embassies. Furthermore, sharia countries are getting stronger and more violent and their influence is spreading.
Western companies should announce a total rejection of these views and make a stand. Every bank, every automotive company, every freaking electronics producer should pump that world with women posters. Gays also for a good measure.
Intel should put jewish engineers on their commercials. Coca Cola should have kissing girls on a beach in theirs. Lamborghini should invest into female drivers ads.
Either Saudis, Somalis, Sudenese, Egyptians, Iranis (to some extent), Qataris, Kuwaitees will prefer to get back to the caves, where their menthality belongs and say no to consumer goods or they will start changing.
Besides, what is this big noise about openness and discrimination? Showing female body can be part of Swedish culture, that does not mean every country has to follow that.
Each country has their own culture and religion. There is no harm to respect that; and that way others will respect you as well.
Finally, if IKEA does not like these rules, they can leave Saudi or some other country. Who cares about a furniture making company anyway? Those countries that does not have IKEA, they don't have furnitures?
Oh, yeah. Who needs all of this involvement into slavery in Central African Republic? This is their ways and this is how they shall live.... Not everyone is born free, so what is the big deal?
What is the big deal with forced circumcision of girls? What is the big deal with the marriages of 9 years olds? What is the big deal with ya'll butchering gays on city squares? Merely a cute tradition, that nobody shall care about...
How is torture in prisons a business of anyone else? Why burning churches is such a fuss, isn't it a good islamic tradition? Why wouldn't we support that a rape is a rape only if 4 RESPECTALBE men confirm that it was a rape?
Why would Sweden not respect the wonderful traditions of muslims, when musilms show constant respect and compliance with swedish traditions and culture?
In one thing we agree - IKEA, Volvo, Scania, Astra Zeneca, Skandia and others shall stop selling their stuff in this entire area - from Morocco to Malaysia and from Iran to Yemen. I would encourage EVERY other western company to withdraw their products from there.
Seems that people like you are a bit... how to say it "double standarted"...
The calls to boycotte South Africa seem to be legitimate. Many of those who accept the little perk of female factual slavery in islamic countries, seem to be less tolerant towards, say, business making with Israel.
The same logic goes for the apparent difference between palestinians who are target eliminated and kurds, who are carpet bombed.
There will be no influence from the west, if west bends to the cute traditions of islamists. How about commercials in Sudan? Should IKEA present slaves serving the masters in kitchen, just because Sudan is OK running slave caravans? It is not about traditions, but about barbarism that shall not be cooperated with.