Posted on 10/01/2012 3:28:30 PM PDT by DogByte6RER
A report in the free newspaper Metro raised questions in Sweden about Ikea's commitment to gender equality, and the company released a statement expressing 'regret' over the issue.
Ikea is under fire for deleting images of women from the Saudi version of its furniture catalogue. Pictured are the Swedish, left, and Saudi, right, versions of the Ikea catalogue.
STOCKHOLM (AP) — Ikea is being criticized for deleting images of women from the Saudi version of its furniture catalogue, a move the company says it regrets.
Comparing the Swedish and Saudi versions of the catalogue, free newspaper Metro on Monday showed that women had been airbrushed out of otherwise identical pictures showcasing the company's home furnishings.
The report raised questions in Sweden about Ikea's commitment to gender equality, and the company released a statement expressing "regret" over the issue.
"We should have reacted and realized that excluding women from the Saudi Arabian version of the catalogue is in conflict with the IKEA Group values," the company said.
Women appear only infrequently in Saudi-run advertising, mostly on Saudi-owned TV channels that show women in long dresses, scarves covering their hair and long sleeves. In imported magazines, censors black out many parts of a woman's body including arms, legs and chest.
When Starbucks opened its coffee shops in the conservative, Muslim kingdom, it removed the alluring, long-haired woman from its logo, keeping only her crown. Ikea's Saudi catalogue, which is also available online, looks the same as other editions of the publication, except for the absence of women.
Sweden’s Metro newspaper shows the difference in images in Swedish and Saudi Arabian IKEA catalogues for next year.
(Excerpt) Read more at nydailynews.com ...
The only approved product advertised in catalogs for Saudi women ...
Well..the 1st pic was of a woman dressed inappropriately & the second one was taken after she was honor killed by the madrassa indoctrinated “yute”.
Non-issue.
A tempest in a teapot.
They are all so feminist until it affects their bottom line. . .
For what it’s worth, advertising is usually directed at an audience. And this is what sells stuff to Saudis.
It seems to me that any anger should be directed at the Saudis, not Ikea.
This from a nation that says it’s against the law to be a criminal.
The Saudis have been doing this for decades. In1980, there were two English-language dailies in Jeddah. One day there was a commercial ad for shower curtains. A woman was stepping out of the shower, modestly covered by the curtain. The censors, however, weren’t satisfied. They had some Yemeni flunky with a magic marker, blacking out what little flesh could be seen from every copy in the stack of papers. But get out of a Saudi’s way in London or Paris if he sees a working girl at a bar; he’ll run you over to charm her with his petrobucks.
There was an incident in the UK where a child posing for a passport picture had on a halter. The picture was later denied by the passport office saying it would offend Muslims. The family had no intention of ever visiting a Muslim country. Why is it that politicians lean over backwards for these killers?
Ps - an internet survey showed that more porn was downloaded from Muslim countries than any other country.
You just answered your own question.
Eh...nothing new. At the Wendy’s I went to in Riyadh, Wendy’s face was erased out of the logo.
They probably couldn't fit her pigtails into a burka.
Not at all surprised about the massive amount of porn going into the Moslem computers. They are SO frustrated. We’re bad, but we’re not that hypocritical. I’m sure the reason the kid’s pp photo was denied because an “Asian” immigration officer was in charge.
When I was in Riyadh the Golden with Milk and Honey blest decades ago,a guy told me that the mullahs and imams didn’t even want infidels in town after sundown. He said that they made KLM remove the cross from atop the crown on their airline’s logo at a travel agency. I didn’t lose anything on that benighted peninsula. A tour there DOES make for some good stories, though.
I guess, at least, a liberal paper and a liberal country are finally taking Islam/Saudis to task for the treatment of women
Usually liberals only attack Christians and Conservatives when it comes to treatment of women...but give Muslims a pass
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