Wednesday, August 23, 2006















hitler eatery:

just amazing. what is next? "the nazi camp"?

how can someone eat with nazi stuff all over theplace?

*****

Mumbai's "Hitler" eatery angers Indian Jews

By Krittivas Mukherjee

Mon Aug 21, 7:23 AM ET

MUMBAI (Reuters) - A new restaurant in India'sfinancial hub, named after Adolf Hitler and promotedwith posters showing the German leader and Naziswastikas, has infuriated the country's small Jewishcommunity.

'Hitler's Cross', which opened last week, serves up awide range of continental fare and a big helping ofcontroversy, thanks to a name the owners say theychose to stand out among hundreds of Mumbai eateries.

"We wanted to be different. This is one name that willstay in people's minds," owner Punit Shablok toldReuters.

"We are not promoting Hitler. But we want to tellpeople we are different in the way he was different."

But India's remaining Jews -- most migrated to -- Israel and the West over the years -- say they areoutraged by the gimmick.

"This signifies a severe lack of awareness of theagony of millions of Jews caused by one man," saidJonathan Solomon, chairman of the Indian JewishFederation, the community's umbrella organisation.

"We are going to stop this deification of Hitler," hesaid without elaborating.

The small restaurant, its interior done out in theNazi colours of red, white and black, also has alounge for smoking the exotic Indian water pipe or"hookah".

Posters line the road leading up to it, featuring ared swastika carved in the name of the eatery. Oneslogan reads: "From Small Bites to Mega Joys".

A huge portrait of a stern-looking Fuehrer greetsvisitors at the door. The cross in the restaurant'sname refers to the swastika that symbolised the Naziregime.

"This place is not about wars or crimes, but wherepeople come to relax and enjoy a meal," saidrestaurant manager Fatima Kabani, adding that theywere planning to turn the eatery's name into a brandwith more branches in Mumbai.

The swastika has its roots in ancient Indian Hindutradition and remains a sacred symbol for Hindus. Nazitheorists appropriated it to bolster their centralhypothesis of the Aryan origins of the German people.