A major London bookstore stocked multiple copies of Mein Kampf in Arabic translation without critical annotation or academic framing, drawing swift condemnation from Jewish organizations and prompting the store to remove the title.
The Aafaq Bookstore, located on Edgware Road in central London, within walking distance of the West London Synagogue, displayed several copies of the Arabic edition on a display table last week. The edition was published by Aafaq Publishing & Distribution, linked to the bookstore's Kuwaiti owner.
The bookstore later stated that it held only three copies of the title, placed toward the rear among history books, and that none had been sold. Following backlash from the community, the store removed the book from inventory, saying it wanted to remain a "welcoming bookstore for everyone" and that stocking a historical text should not be seen as an endorsement.
Jewish organizations, including the Community Security Trust (CST), condemned the sale and display of what they called "the most infamous antisemitic text," particularly because it was stocked without clear critical annotation or academic context. The incident drew concern amid elevated antisemitism across the United Kingdom.
The CST and other groups emphasized that while historical texts can have legitimate academic purposes, the unannotated display and sale of Mein Kampf—a foundational antisemitic work—in a commercial retail setting, especially near a synagogue during a period of heightened antisemitic incidents, raised serious concerns about the bookstore's responsibility to the community.
The Aafaq Bookstore's removal of the title after the backlash was welcomed by community leaders, though the incident highlighted the continuing availability of antisemitic materials in commercial spaces.
Arabic translations of Mein Kampf have circulated for decades in parts of the Middle East and have been documented in educational and civilian settings in Palestinian areas. The London discovery marks a notable instance of the text appearing in a Western retail bookstore in an unannotated commercial context.
