Netherlands: Bank drops piggy-bank present

Children who open a saving account at Fortis get a present: a roguish piggy-bank, named Knorbert. Throughout the years tens of thousands of kids had received it, but that is now at an end. Knorbert won't be given to kids as a present any more.

A pig is a touchy issue for some of the clients: Jews and Muslims consider it unclean. The bank wrote in an internal document that Knorbert "doesn't fulfill the requirements that the multicultural society places on us any more." the document not to De Telegraaf which published it on the front page. Fortis would have preferred to keep a lower profile on it.

The spokesperson for the Belgian-Dutch bank-insurer did not want to talk about it, but did confirm that Knorbert is out, saying that after seven years he needed to be replaced, and that when making the choice for a new welcome gift, you need to take your public into account. You want to appear to as many people as possible.

According to Fortis there was a 'handful' of complaints about it. They will now think of a new gift.

Fortis is benefiting from the fact that the parliament is currently in recess. In Geert Wilders' party there was nobody around to make a statement.

Source: NRC (Dutch)

See also: Belgium: Halal investments

18 comments:

John Rohan said...

This is ridiculous - someone needs to tell them that a piggy bank is NOT a real pig, thus not subject to religious bans.

Anonymous said...

Oh please....This is just getting rediculous!

When I was a child, I had a coin container that was a replica of one of those cans they sold oil in back in the day. The irony is now, with the cost of gas, my money seems to be going to the oil companies these days....

Anonymous said...

Please Keep Jews Out Of This!

Just for the record, I am a religious Jew, and my daughter has a piggy bank. Just because we don't eat them doesn't mean we could be offended at being offered a bank shaped like one.

We Jews have always been happy if our host country was gracious enough to leave us be. We would not dream of being offended if they continue doing what they've been doing for years (unless, of course, it involves intentionally harrassing Jews).

(And, yes, I know the above paragraph doesn't apply so well to those non-religious Jews who have declared war on all religion as their path to emancipation.)

What is different about Muslims? We Jews realise we are guests in your country, and are grateful to be allowed to do our own thing. Muslims, on the other hand, are engaged in conquest, so naturally they are aggressive.

It's very simple. Why is it so hard to see?

Anonymous said...

How about the Jews and Muslims just refuse to ACCEPT the piggy bank, then. One of my banks is offering a new tookit. Since I'm not into tools, and already have what I need, I'd have said, "no, thanks."

Hm....perhaps I should have made a big deal about it in the press, you know, maybe it was a sexist gift and all...I could have had my 15 minutes.

Anonymous said...

Jewish anonymous,

Every Jew I've ever met has been kind, considerate, hard-working, decent. My guess is that they were included in this article because that way the Muslims aren't singled out.

Anonymous said...

It's all in the marketing. They should have just "re-branded" the gift as pink hippopotami. Who doesn't love a hippopotamus?

Anonymous said...

The silliness continues unabated. If there is any upside to this, it would be that as Americans, we can sit and watch in amazement as political correctness runs amok in Europe until the enslavement of western culture is complete. When we see Western Europeans reduced to slaves, perhaps that will be enough stop rampant political correctness here.

Anonymous said...

A piggy bank is an inanimate object made from either porcelain or some other material. A real pig is a flesh and blood animal. Why is it so hard for Muslims to see that difference? If you don't want to take the piggy bank the bank is offering: Just Say NO! And make sure you say "thank-you" after it!

Anonymous said...

This is primarily Islamic in nature; please leave the Jews out of it. Dogs and cats are both non-kosher, but we don't consider them "unclean" and have no trouble keeping them as pets. Muslims are greatly offended by dogs - though they seem to like cats.

Unknown said...

Muslims are becoming a problem. Nothing that couldn't be resolved with a few nukes, of course.

Complain about a few piggy banks, and we nuke Mecca. Complain again, and Medina is next. Keep whining - you don't even want to know.

How cool would that be? Most of the world's problems solved because of a little container designed to hold excess pocket change.

Anonymous said...

anonymous........
As a white american FEMINIST with NO religious affiliation let me say...
I would much rather Fuck a pig any day than a little dicked jew or hairy assed muslim. Send those bellowing bastards back to the country of origin and let the piggy bank live on in History as a joy to children everywhere who love to SAVE for their futures.

Anonymous said...

Strange, but I don't often see instances of Jews, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Zoroastrians or anyone else overreacting to perceived outrages like Mohamed cartoons and piggy banks... Can't think of any instances at all (excepting the feminist above me).
Call me insensitive, but I'm thinking that this is a problem with radical Islam.
Leave the Jews out of it.

Anonymous said...

I suddenly feel tempted to find my old piggy bank and name it Mohammed.

Well, maybe not, even a pig (real or not) doesn't deserve to be associated with Islam or Muslims.

Anonymous said...

I wonder why the dutch bank do not fear the reactions from the average-customer. I would not be a customer in a bank that bans piggy banks.
Europe also have a legacy.

Anonymous said...

Probably it’s political correctness gone astray not special requirements from muslims. But of course with the epidemic of muslim phobia on things might be offending to the prophet and the risk of those phobic muslims burst out in lethal violence one can understand that business hedge with political correctness.

This little Piggy bank is of course a multi facetted issue. Couldn’t the bank market it to the muslim kids as a jew turned to a pig by Allah an then petrified in the form of a piggy bank.
:-)

Anonymous said...

Sorry did miss that there have been complains from muslim customers about Knorbert the little piggy bank.


Sæhrímnir was the cosmic boar killed and eaten every night by the Æsir and Einherjar. The cook of the gods, Andhrímnir, was responsible for the slaughter and preparation using the cauldron named Eldhrímnir. After Sæhrímnir was eaten, he was brought back to life to provide sustenance for the following day.

How easily this Norse Gods was offended I don’t know but guess they had to keep some concord to stay in business in a market orientated competitive God enviorment.

Anonymous said...

Not only should piggy banks not be offered but money as well. Can you only imagine how many hands that have handled pork products and alcoholic drinks have touched euros and dollars. Also, I think we should terminate the use of heart valves from pigs for use by Moslems. Imagine a pig part in one's body.......Also, end football. Touching a "pig-skin" is terrible. I would just like to know why Moslems who gamble in casionos also drink booze?

Anonymous said...

Not only should piggy banks not be offered but money as well. Can you only imagine how many hands that have handled pork products and alcoholic drinks have touched euros and dollars. Also, I think we should terminate the use of heart valves from pigs for use by Moslems. Imagine a pig part in one's body.......Also, end football. Touching a "pig-skin" is terrible. I would just like to know why Moslems who gamble in casionos also drink booze?