Arabic bookstore in central London is accused of antisemitism after displaying copies of Hitler's Mein Kampf

Published: 16:36, 13 August 2026 | Updated: 16:39, 13 August 2026 A central London Arabic bookstore has sparked accusations of antisemitism after displaying copies of the notorious Mein Kampf. Aafaq Bookstore features hundreds of titles on a wide range of subjects at its new shop on Edgware Road, including many published by the company. But its inclusion of Adolf Hitler's sickening memoir - My Struggle, in English - with a cover showing him giving a Nazi salute on a prominent display has led to furious criticism. Elliot Keck, Conservative councillor for Hyde Park, blasted the Kuwaiti-owned store over its inclusion of Hitler's autobiographical manifesto. He told the Daily Mail: 'It makes me sick to my stomach to find copies of Mein Kampf being proudly displayed in a new bookshop in my ward. 'Let's be clear - these are not being sold as academic reference pieces. 'They are being displayed on one of the main display tables. 'While the council likely doesn't have any powers to crack down on this, from my perspective this hideous little business is not welcome and I very much hope to see it fail.' Aafaq Bookstore, on Edgware Road, has sparked accusations of antisemitism after displaying copies of the notorious Mein Kampf The bookstore features hundreds of titles on a wide range of subjects at its new shop Mein Kampf, or My Struggle, was written in 1925 and contains extreme anti-Semitism and promotes the idea of Aryan-supremacy. Cllr Keck had earlier shared a photo of a number of the books on a shelf at the store with a caption including 'imagine my disgust'. It is legal to sell in the UK but some shopping platforms have discontinued it over fears it could be used to fuel racism. One recent shopper said he was left shocked to see 'hate propaganda' clearly on display. He wrote online: 'The shop itself has a nice vibe and a good English selection, but seeing an Arabic translation of Mein Kampf right on the main browsing table completely ruined the visit for me. 'Stocking historical texts on back shelves is one thing, but putting hate propaganda front and centre on a featured display table is really off-putting. 'I hope the owners rethink where they place titles like that and move them to a proper history section instead.' When approached for a copy of the book, a shop assistant said it was no longer available due to criticism they faced online. The worker said: 'We are a new business. To face this kind of hate for stocking a book that is sold in other shops isn't fair. 'Why are we facing this scrutiny, is it because we are an Arabic bookstore? 'There are so many different titles, from many historical figures, that are available.' She added: 'Reading Mein Kampf shows people the danger of these ideas, rather than promote them.' She also pointed out that Waterstones stocks the book. The title was not on display at Waterstones on Oxford Street, but copies in a number of languages were apparently available to order on its website. A spokesperson for Waterstones said: 'We are a bookseller and make a wide range of books available to customers. 'Mein Kampf is among the titles we can supply, although it is not widely stocked in our shops and can be ordered online directly from the publisher. 'As a bookseller, we believe customers should be able to make their own decision about which books they choose to read.' Westminster Council was contacted for comment.