Jewellery brand Shein apologises for selling swastika pendant necklace
'We made a gigantic mistake by selling a product that’s hurtful and offensive to many of you, and we’re so, so sorry', the retailer said
A popular jewellery brand has apologised for selling a “metal swastika pendant necklace” on its website.
The apology from international company Shein came after customers complained about the sale of a gold-coloured necklace with a large swastika at the centre of the chain.
The affordable retailer – which has promised to review its product selection process – was selling the necklace on its website for around £2.00 ($2.50).
Non-profit group Stop Antisemitism condemned the item’s sale, saying: “It represents the mass murder of millions.”
More than 60,000 people reacted to an Instagram post by fashion blogger @diet_prada. The blogger attacked the sale of the necklace, writing: “The swastika dates back to ancient times and still holds particular significance in religion like Hinduism and Buddhism, but since the 1930s it’s been appropriated in clockwise direction as an antisemitic symbol of the Nazi party,” adding: “with the resurgence of open, unabashed white supremacy it’s doubtful we’d ever see the swastika returned to its origin as a symbol of peace in the West.”
In response to criticism from shoppers, a Shein spokesperson apologised for the sale of a symbol popularised by the Nazis, telling customers: “Sorry we let you down”.
The spokesperson said: “We made a gigantic mistake by selling a product that’s hurtful and offensive to many of you, and we’re so, so sorry.
“Here’s what happened: We listed a Buddhist swastika necklace for sale. There’s simply no excuse for our lack of sensitivity in doing so. The item was removed as soon as we discovered this mistake.
“The Buddhist symbol has stood for spirituality and good fortune for more than a thousand years, and has a different design than the Nazi swastika which stands for hate – but frankly, that doesn’t matter because we should’ve been more considerate of the symbol’s hurtful connotations to so many people around the world, and we didn’t.”
They added: “The only thing we can do is profusely apologise and reassure you that we’ve making major internal changes so this does not happen again.
“We recently established a committee to review products before they’re sold and promise to improve our product selection process.
“We will also cease of the sale of any religious items on our site.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
