Hitler's Cross!

[faceless]

The owners of a new restaurant named "Hitler's Cross" in the Indian city of Mumbai have changed its name after protests from the Jewish community. The restaurant opened last week in the city's outskirts, initially displaying a giant poster of Hitler but now one of the restaurant's owners has acknowledged that naming the restaurant after Hitler was "most inappropriate" and has apologised.

"We have decided to change the name of our restaurant and remove all signs and articles associated with Hitler and Nazism in and around it," said one of the restaurant's owners, Satish Sabhlok. "Our intention was not to glorify Hitler - or his atrocities or ideology in any way - and we regret the anguish caused by the use of this name," he said.

The Chairman of the Indian Jewish Federation, Jonathan Solomon, told the BBC that Mr Sabhlok came to his residence for a meeting on Thursday morning and was "very apologetic". Mr Solomon said that he hoped that the restaurateur had "acted out of ignorance rather than malice - the opening of a restaurant with such a name has shocked us and all right thinking persons around the world," he said. We are grateful... To the people and government of our country, to the media for highlighting this issue and to the consular authorities of Germany, the USA and Israel in taking note of this issue and helping in its solution."

The restaurant opened in the city's outskirts last week with a party for 700 guests. A poster of Hitler was placed at the entrance, although the owners said it was not put up by them. But the name caused fury among the 5,000-member Jewish community in Mumbai. "How can anybody think of naming a restaurant after a perpetrator of such heinous crimes against humanity?" Mr Solomon asked.

The consul generals of Israel and Germany became embroiled in the dispute, requesting the owners to change the name. Initially they refused to do so, saying that they were only using the name and not promoting Hitler in any manner.

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Historically the swastika symbol comes from India, so when I first saw the headline I thought there'd been some honest confusion in language, but finding out that they were quite aware is just madness!

[Skylace]

If it was just the cross I wouldn't see it being a problem at all. However, having Hitler as part of the name and calling it "Hitler's Cross" is not the best business model I have seen.

[Kezza]

After reading this, I just managed to get my chin off of the floor. The photo had the largest impact on me -- I'm gobsmacked!!

Now members of the BNP, the Arayan Nation, etc. have a place to eat whilst in Mumbai, eh? :grr:

[Gasman59]

Things that make you go..."WTF ???"

[Bat]

Hitler's Cross? I bet he's fuming. :grr:

[Marcella-FL]

I wonder what kind of food they served. Has the owner ever mentioned WHY he chose the name in the first place? How could he get as far as he did without someone saying "Um... the name ...not so much ..." I mean - surely the guys at the sign shop had to shake their heads...

[IRiSHMaFIA]

You think the name's bad? Look what the servers had to wear!

[Bat]

Is that an old picture of the new pope? I think I read somewhere that he was in the Hitler youth for a while!!!!!!!!

[IRiSHMaFIA]

[faceless]

ah, the power of boredom...

[ap1979]

ohh my god...I wouldn't have believed this story without seeing some visual of it...unreal.
Could you imagine being the Public Relaions department on this place...how could you put a positive spin on that...lol
UNREAL!!

[IRiSHMaFIA]