Anti-Scandinavian

6 December 2006



Italian Politicians Demand IKEA Boycott

Alfredo Mantovano of the National Alliance Party and Gaetano Quagliariello of Forza Italia are two conservative Italian senators. Apparently, they have too much time on their hands. They are demanding that Italians boycott IKEA’s 12 stores in Italy because the Scandinavian furniture shop suffers anti-Catholic prejudices. These rocket-scientists base this on the fact that IKEA doesn’t sell Nativity scenes.

In a joint statement translated by Reuters, the senators said, “In IKEA shops there is no lack of ethnic sculptures going back to animist religious traditions, and little Zen gardens, so their anti-religious prejudice seems to be anti-Catholic prejudice.” Given that nativity scenes are not the sole property of the Church of Rome, they might have been more accurate to say “anti-Christian.” Adherents of the papacy often have a hard time remembering that there are numerous other varieties of Christianity. Deciding that they speak for all Christians is an anti-Protestant and anti-Orthodox bigotry that Signores Mantovano and Quagliariello might wish to consider in their own hearts. This journal will not hold its breath.

In its defense, the company said, “We sell furniture and typical products from Scandinavia like meatballs and herring, and Christmas tree decorations which come from Northern Europe, rather than Nativity scenes which are more of a southern European tradition.” Indeed, the senators might have complained that the meatballs sold at IKEA aren’t in a tomato sauce and been just as sensible.

With a dozen outlets there, IKEA manages to get 35 million visitors from Italy. That adds up to a sizeable chunk of euros, and a real boycott would put a dent in the company’s future plans for shop number 13. It would also damage the company’s top and bottom line.

However, IKEA may have been overly sensitive to Italian attitudes. A far more devastating argument against selling Nativity scenes comes from Italian department store-chain Rinascente. They don’t sell Nativity scenes either because, as they told Reuters, they simply don’t sell well. Imagine, shoppers at IKEA don’t want Nativity scenes as much as they do bookcases and bed frames. Maybe if the Vatican gift shops started selling prepacked desk and chair sets, ecumenical harmony would prevail.

© Copyright 2006 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

Home

Google
WWW Kensington Review







Amazon Honor System Click Here to Pay Learn More