The swastika is such a distinct symbol, that it would be really hard to understand how anyone could possibly believe that any shape that even remotely resembles it wouldn't have people triggered.
So when Shein, a fast fashion online retail store, started selling a pendant that not just resembled, but actually looked exactly like the offensive Nazi symbol, the brand immediately came under attack.
The pendant as seen on the website. Picture: Twitter
According to Insider, a company representative claimed that "the necklace is a Buddhist swastika which has symbolized spirituality and good fortune for more than a thousand years."
The representative added that because of the direction of the symbol, it was not the Nazi swastika. "However, because we understand the two symbols can be confused, and one is highly offensive, we have removed the product from our site."
The representative added that "as a multicultural and global brand, we want to apologize profusely to those who are offended, we are sensitive to these issues and want to be very clear that we in no way support or condone racial, cultural and religious prejudice or hostility."
How the company could look at the design of the pendant and not see how it would not offend people is beyond us, no matter how they try to justify it.
This is not the first time the online retailer has come under fire. They previously sold Islamic prayer mats as "decorative rugs" The product has since been withdrawn after the company offered an apology on their social media platform by calling the product a "highly offensive oversight."