Until Friday, Icelandair’s Hotel Marina Served “Apartheid” Cocktail - Staff Member Allegedly Not Familiar With The Words Meaning

Staff Member Allegedly Not Familiar With The Words Meaning

Hotel Reykjavík Marina, owned by Icelandair, has apologised for the name of its “Apartheid” cocktail, after the online medium Africa Is A Country tweeted about it, submitting a photograph as evidence:

The Apartheid cocktail, on sale at the Marina Hotel, Reykjavik (owner: @Icelandair) pic.twitter.com/IyrQkx60bU

— AFRICA IS A COUNTRY (@AfricasaCountry) December 19, 2014

Icelandair’s first response was not an apology however. After @AfricasaCountry’s tweet, but before the apology, whoever handles Icelandair’s account tweeted back, apparently missing the point completely: “Simply scrumptious, enjoy!” Icelandair offered, adding: “Happy Holidays”:

@AfricasaCountry Simply scrumptious, enjoy! Happy Holidays

— Icelandair (@Icelandair) December 19, 2014

In the words of some other Twitter users:

@Icelandair @AfricasaCountry DID THIS JUST HAPPEN??

— Rachel Hamada (@rachelhamada) December 19, 2014

@Icelandair @AfricasaCountry are you also planning slavery punch or nazi shots? This is very offensive. Apartheid is crime against humanity.

— Alwin Wiederhold (@Alwinner) December 19, 2014

WOW I HOPE YOUR AIRLINE FAILS LIKE YOUR COUNTRY'S ECONOMY DID IN 2008 @Icelandair @kanye @AfricasaCountry

— mohabbat makonnen (@draupadie) December 19, 2014

@geographyjazz @AfricasaCountry @Icelandair Gets all nominations in the 'ignorance' awards.

— Theuri Ndonga (@fdude85) December 19, 2014

— and so, duly, on.

So, well, now, what then? How to prove that your Nordic airline or its affiliates do not condone racism, when evidence seems to suggest that it does? How about inadvertently revealing that not your conglomeration, per se, but your whole country’s school system is to blame? “We apologize,” @Icelandair tweeted again: “Our Iceland-based team member was unaware of word’s meaning. We have contacted the hotel to remove the drink”:

@AfricasaCountry We apologize. Our Iceland-based team member was unaware of word's meaning. We have contacted the hotel to remove the drink

— Icelandair (@Icelandair) December 19, 2014

Africa Is A Country replied with the question: “Can you find out what your team member thought it meant? It’s a very specific term.” – to which Icelandair responded that “She thought the word just meant separation and did not understand the connotation and historical significance”:

@AfricasaCountry She thought the word just meant separation and did not understand the connotation and historical significance.

— Icelandair (@Icelandair) December 19, 2014

In the words of user @AwakeBlackWoman:

@Icelandair @robtashima I was an 11 year old American middle class girl and I knew what apartheid was. Also, where's your oversight team?

— Awake Black Woman (@AwakeBlackWoman) December 19, 2014

Time Online’s Digital Operations Editor Sarah Begley (@SCBegley) added: “For the record, “separation” apparently tastes like vodka, stout liqueur, cream and roasted hazelnuts.”

Africa Is A Country asked its followers to recommend some reading material to “@Icelandair & their team … in order to better understand the meaning of “Apartheid”?” Africa Is A Country’s own suggestion of French philosopher Jacques Derrida’s “Racism’s Last Word” gained traction. The essay’s opening line reads: “APARTHEID—may that remain the name from now on, the unique appellation for the ultimate racism in the world, the last of many.”