A British bookstore chain has apologized after promoting Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf as the Bookstore Hitler, “perfect present” for Christmas.
Waterstone’s issued an apology after several people spotted the anti-Semitic tome at a store in Huddersfield in West Yorkshire with a sales sticker saying the book is “the perfect present” and “essential gift for anyone seeking to understand one of history’s most despicable figures. A shocking read and vital warning for future generations.” Bookstore Hitler,
The online version of the U.K.’s Jewish Chronicle newspaper reports seeing copies of the book displayed in Manchester, Cheshire and Liverpool. Waterstone's,
A Waterstone’s spokesperson told the Chronicle that the large bookstore chain doesn’t actively promote the book and its customers “are capable of forming their own opinions on whether to purchase it or not.”
“However, you do raise a couple of instances where we have obviously got things wrong. The book should not be stocked in any politics section, and our Huddersfield branch should not have used inappropriate seasonal stickers on the book,” the spokesperson said. Mein Kampf,
“We have instructed stores accordingly, and apologize for the offence caused. We will also communicate with all our branches at the earliest possible opportunity to remind them of the sensitivities surrounding our stocking of Mein Kampf.”
A Virgin Megastore in Qatar came under fire earlier this month after displaying Hitler’s manifesto in a promotional display. American Charles Gandelman snapped a photo of the display, which “recommended” an Arabic translation of the book.
A Virgin spokesperson later said in a statement it’s up to individual stores on how they display books but “the recommended tag was not an endorsement of the book’s author or its content. In response to a customer, we removed the title from the display,” the Telegraph newspaper in the U.K. reported the statement as saying.
In Canada, Mein Kampf is sold in small bookstores and on Amazon.ca. Indigo/Chapters’ head Heather Reisman banned the sale of the book 10 years ago although books about Mein Kampf are available at the large bookstore chain.
Source: thestar
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