On Rusta's Facebook page, many customers are furious and are calling for a boycott.
The reason is a Christmas ornament offered by the company, which represents a snow-clad church, without the characteristic Christian cross at the top of the church tower. In an e-mail from Rusta, which has been circulating on social media since Tuesday evening, a person in customer service responds that "We have chosen to remove the cross, to adapt to more customers".
Cecilia Gärdestad, Rusta's press spokesperson, confirms that the e-mail is authentic.
- Yes, unfortunately, the mail is genuine. It simply became a mistake in a wording. We take responsibility for being unfortunate, and we are very sorry for the misunderstanding, says Cecilia Gärdestad.
So you have not removed the Christian cross?
- We have never actively removed anything.
"Chose to buy a church without crosses"Rusta has now answered the customers on Facebook, and Cecilia Gärdestad believes that everything is based on a misunderstanding.
- We chose to buy a church without a cross. Just like we could choose a church with a rooster in the tower.
Have you had this church, though with a cross, in your assortment before?
- It's a brand new product, we haven't had this one in the range before. It has never been offered with a cross.
Cecilia Gärdestad says they discovered that the picture on the church had gone viral on Tuesday night, but that the church had been in their department stores for a while.
"Has no products linked to religion"Do you offer churches with crosses, jesus figures or any other type of christmas ornaments in your assortment?
- We have no other products that are as clearly linked to religion as the current church lighting lights.
- Rusta is religious and politically independent, but respects that Christmas is an important part of the culture in our part of the world and of course the Christian faith.
"Church" can no longer be found on Rusta's website. Cecilia Gärdestad announces that she will investigate why it is not searchable on rusta.se.