Benetton withdraws pope-imam kiss ad after protest

The Benetton clothing company has withdrawn an ad showing Pope Benedict XVI kissing a top Egyptian imam on the lips after the Vatican denounced it as an "unacceptable" provocation.
Benetton had said its "Unhate" campaign launched Wednesday is aimed at fostering tolerance and "global love."
The campaign's fake photos show a half-dozen purported political nemeses in lip-locked embraces, including President Barack Obama and Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
The photo of the pope had been on the company's website all day but was pulled about an hour after the Vatican's protest. A Benetton spokesman confirmed to The Associated Press that the pope ad is no longer part of the campaign. (Via AP)

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Benetton's controversial ads

World leaders are shown kissing in digitally manipulated images that are part of Benetton's new "unhate" ad campaign promoting tolerance. The retailer withdrew an advertisement using an image of Pope Benedict kissing an imam on the mouth after the Vatican protested at its inappropriate 'shock value.

World leaders are shown kissing in digitally manipulated images that are part of Benetton's new "unhate" ad campaign promoting tolerance. Here, U.S. President Barack Obama and China's President Hu Jintao are shown. Benetton Group is known for its controversial ads.

credit: Good Morning America Photo By Fabrica

Other world figures include Pope Benedict XVI and Dr. Ahmed al Tayyeb, the grand sheikh of Cairo's Al Azhar Mosque. This image was pulled from the campaign after a complaint by the Vatican.The Vatican has issued a stern condemnation of a new global ad campaign by Italian clothes company Benetton after a photo montage of Pope Benedict XVI kissing a leading imam. (AFP Photo/Patrick Kovarik)

A digitally altered advertisement by United Colors of Benetton depicting President Barack Obama kissing Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is seen in a handout image. credit: REUTERS/Benetton/Handout

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and South Korean President Lee Myung Bak.
credit: Good Morning America Photo By Fabrica 9 hrs ago

    Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

 credit: Good Morning America Photo By Fabrica

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

credit: Good Morning America Photo By Fabrica

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