Gibraltar bank offends two cultures with one photograph

It would be bad enough if it was April Fool’s Day, but the Gibraltar International Bank (GIB) made a massive cultural mistake when wishing residents Happy Diwali.

Gibraltar hosts a number of residents who have Indian and/or Hindu backgrounds and to celebrate Diwali (the Festival of Light) the Bank issued a photograph showing members of the community attired in Indian costumes.

Gibraltar bank offends two cultures with one ill judged Diwali photograph

Unfortunately not everyone in the photo was singing from the same song sheet and three of those present were wearing Native American (often referred to as Red Indian) costumes.

Clearly this was an error of the highest magnitude but still the photograph appeared on the Bank’s website and Facebook page causing a number of red faces for the directors of the bank as well as Gibraltar Government which actually owns it.

Gibraltar bank offends two cultures with one photograph but apologises for mistake

In a statement posted on the bank’s social media site, CEO Peter Horton acknowledged that the images were “extremely disrespectful to the Hindu community in Gibraltar, for whom Diwali is a sacred and joyous occasion.”

“It does not meet the standards of professionalism, respect, and cultural awareness expected of everyone at the Bank,” he added in his statement, which anticipates an investigation to determine the causes of the misunderstanding, engaging with representatives of Gibraltar’s historic Hindu community “to strengthen understanding, respect, and inclusion.”

According to the Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) the President of the local Hindu Community, Sunil Chandiramani said the community does not believe there was any malice involved in the incident, but that this is “a moment where awareness and sensitivity can be strengthened”.

He said the community views this as an “opportunity to share more about its faith, customs, and traditions, so that celebrations of cultural diversity in Gibraltar can be even more meaningful”.

Comments on GBC Facebook included “Diwali vs Dance of the Wolves 🐺 Got to admit — one of the funniest things I’ve seen in Gib in a while”.

Others took it in good stead, such as Kalen Joyce who said “Many of my Hindu friends actually found the photo quite funny, though I assume not everyone felt the same way. I do not think the ladies at the Gib Bank meant any harm just need to better understand different cultures. Kudos to the bank for acting quickly and issuing a formal apology.”