Online retailer Amazon.com withdrew underwear carrying image of Hindu deity Lord Hanuman from its website within a day after upset Hindus protested calling it “highly inappropriate”.
Hanuman men’s underwear, made from satin cloth with Lord Hanuman image, and sold for $49.62 at Amazon.com, does not show up anymore. Amazon.com also removed doormat carrying Lord Hanuman image.
Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who spearheaded the protest asking for immediate withdrawal of this objectionable product, in a statement in Nevada today, thanked Amazon.com for understanding the concerns of Hindu community which thought image of Lord Hanuman on such a product was highly insensitive.
Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, however, pointed out that a formal apology from Amazon.com President Jeffrey P. Bezos to the upset Hindu community was still due, as this was not the first time for the company to offer such products which were deemed offensive by Hindu devotees.
Rajan Zed suggested that Amazon and other companies should send their senior executives for training in religious and cultural sensitivity so that they had an understanding of the feelings of customers and communities when introducing new products or launching advertising campaigns.
Zed says that Lord Hanuman is greatly revered in Hinduism and is meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to wear on your hip/crotch or put your feet on or touch with your feet. Inappropriate usage of Hindu deities or concepts for commercial or other agenda is not okay as it hurt the faithful.
Hinduism is the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought and it should not be taken frivolously. Symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled, Rajan Zed indicates.
Zed further says that such trivialization of Hindu deity was disturbing to the Hindus world over. Hindus are for free artistic expression and speech as much as anybody else if not more. But faith is something sacred and attempts at trivializing it hurt the followers, Zed adds.
Lord Hanuman is known for incredible strength and was a perfect grammarian. There are about three million Hindus in USA.
Amazon.com, Inc., a Fortune 500 company founded in 1994, and headquartered in Seattle (USA), claims to offer earth’s biggest selection
Source: World Hindu News (WHN)