Women stage topless demo at Ikea in Germany
Published: 25 Oct 12 16:37 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/44052/20121025/
A group of topless women staged a protest on Wednesday at a German outlet of Swedish furniture giant Ikea in reaction to the company's decision to remove women from the version of its catalogue distributed in Saudi Arabia.
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The three women, aged 32, 23 and 22, were fully clothed when they entered the Ikea store near Hamburg in northern Germany.
In the toilets, however, they removed their tops and painted German flags over their breasts and daubed feminist messages across their torsos, before taking to heading to the living room section bearing placards.
“You can remove us from the catalogue but you cannot remove us from reality,” said one placard.
“Allah made me visible,” said another.
The German branch of feminist movement Femen carried out the action to protest Ikea's decision to remove all women from the version of the catalogue destined for distribution in Saudi Arabia.
The removal of the women angered Swedish female government ministers, and prompted the company to issue an apology.
Staff and shoppers at the Hamburg Ikea branch watched in wonder for about ten minutes before security guards ushered the protesters out of the bedroom department, the German daily Bild reported.
“We painted our breasts in Germany's colours because we are protesting for women,” graphic designer Irina, 32, told the paper.
“Our bodies are painted like posters, but they cannot be ripped up,” she added.
Femen began in Ukraine, where women have regularly staged nude protests against repression and violence.
On its website, the group said the topless women wanted to protest Ikea's "chauvinist policy"
"Islamist dollars are more important than human principles of liberty and equality for Ikea," the group said.
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if the world could harness the energy and enthusiasm of young girls worldwide the world would change dramatically. we can only live in hope.
Countless salafists and other islamist madmen all over the world will be frothing at the mouth and having wet dreams at the same time.
One of the reasons why Sweden is so special it's one of a few countries which upholds values which makes it pretty uniqiue when it comes to human rights and equality. Sadly IKEA hasn't been listening, and of course it's not the first time IKEA has started to ruffle some feathers with it's policy of not selling Swedish iconic branded food products in it's stores, to now be kicked in the balls by this ?.
Well Mr Ingvar Kamprad hope your proud of yourself because I'm not.
If you must live and work in another country the first thing you must do is adjust to its society.
Now, don't take me wrong, do I agree with the customs of the culture in question? No, and that's why I don't live in Saudi Arabia or any other country with a similar culture.
agree
but perhaps you should have a little look at other religions.
noticed any female Buddhist monks?
check the old and new testament of christians.
you will find women are bottom of the barrel slaves to men on all occasions. The christians bible even forbids women from talking in public. as for the jews - they are the worst offenders of all when it comes to degrading women.
brave girls.
The diff between your extremely tolerant and loving religion and christianity + judaism, is that some christian states and Jewish state discriminate women only when they are involved in religious activities and traditions (marriage, priest/rabbi job, having a head cover in temples etc...).
In day to day lifes, the extreme minorities are indeed still busy with female oppression and in their turn are pressed upon by the secular states and society. These extremists are not a rule and balance on the thin difference between equality and protection of religion.
However, when we talk about your wonderful religion, the oppression is on the STATE lever. It is in legislation, in execution and in courts. It is on the streets (females are forced to obey to religious demands),at home (rape and violence legislation) and at work (working women are rare and VERY limited in sharia states).
Also, it is quite interesting that in islamic society even if it is defined that a woman CAN do stuff like wrap herself in a bag on a street, it in essence means that she MUST do it.
Whenever anyone dares to question it through diplomacy, the card of racism and discrimination is pulled out by you (making it a sad joke, when islamists defend inequality in the name of equality, violence in the name of peace and oppression in the name of freedom). At the same time, only the secular societies in Turkey and Iran are still showing some weak signs of opposition to this. But it is also about to disappear soon through emigration and violence...