Via Charles Johnson, I see that Swedish giant IKEA refuses to depict women in its instruction manuals — to avoid offending fundamentalist Islamic sensibilities. Norway’s Prime Minister is justifiably incensed:
OSLO, Norway (Reuters) – Swedish home furnishings giant IKEA is guilty of sex discrimination by showing only men putting together furniture in its instruction manuals, Norway’s prime minister says.
IKEA, which has more than 200 stores in 32 nations, fears it might offend Muslims by depicting women assembling everything from cupboards to beds. Its manuals show only men or cartoon figures whose sex is unclear.
“This isn’t good enough,” Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik was quoted Thursday as telling the daily Verdens Gang. “It’s important to promote attitudes for sexual equality, not least in Muslim nations.”
“They should change this,” he said. “There’s no justification for it.”
I guess if women can’t read maps, they can’t put together furniture, either?
Sweden has a long history of such appeasement, and I’m glad to see Norway isn’t going along with this one.
But I’d be willing to bet you won’t see IKEA selling this mug:
In the interest of full disclosure, I think it’s fair to point out that I am an American of Norwegian descent, which may mean that my bias is showing by linking this story.
In my defense, I should also note that this whole flap is probably another Karl Rove plot.
Just ask Walter Cronkite.
Comments
3 responses to “Searching for the root cause of cultural bias”
Despicable. I have had it altogether with Political Correctness. This is the dead-end, the bottom of the pit.
On a more positive note, I also am of Norwegian descent, on my mother’s side. Hail Odin!
Steven, what a relief! (I guess I should have known all along that you hailed from the Norwegian master race….)