SPECIAL ISSUE

August 12, 2000: Respect all religions

Dear Readers:
Religion is a sensitive matter. Faith is very personal. Harmony among people grows if they learn to respect their religions and faiths. Even a soberest man gets provoked if his religion or faith is belittled.
Religions are represented by icons and images of gods and goddesses. Therefore, anything derogatory to religions and icons can equally stir trouble among people of those religions. There are occasions when communal troubles erupted because of deliberate disrespect exhibited towards places of worship, temples and gods.
Of late, there is a growing tendency in the western world to use the Hindu idols and images as decorative pieces. In the West, there is little awareness among people about Hindu gods. Lord Ganesha with elephant head looks some sort of an artist’s creation. For them, Lord Narasimha with the lion’s face may look something of an artist’s manifestation of beast and beauty. The cow, which is sacred for Hindu, caught the eye of the Mayor of Chicago who decorated downtown streets with their images last year. Hindus felt happy for the Chicago’s recognition of beauty in the cow. No one objects if these images and idols of gods are kept in respectable places. But, Hindus did get hurt, when a nightclub in Chicago downtown decorated its walls with Hindu gods. Of course, the nightclub has to withdraw after an outcry and protests by Hindus. Tattooing of Lord Hanuman on the chest of a person is most welcome for Hindus. But the same tattoo at a different place of the body can hurt the devotees of Hanuman.
Painted with kaleidoscopic colors, the images of Lord Vishnu, Trimurthy, Ganesha, Shiva and Parvati were used by a shoemaker of China for the footwear to be marketed by a San Francisco firm in the US. Thanks to Subhas Razdan of Atlanta, who mobilized Hindus to react through email messages to the shoe firm. Realizing its folly, the firm has not only withdrawn the sales, but also apologized profusely to Hindus.
While in the West when it is ignorance that drives them to use these icons as decorative pieces, some Hindus themselves knowingly commit similar mistakes. A Hindu dress and fashion designer of Indian origin in New York recently started producing skirts with bloated images of Lord Ganesha. Another fashion designer abroad used the images of Lord Krishna and Radha on a designer’s clothing. How can anybody explain when Hindu commits such wrong to boost his or her business and sales?
The latest trend in the US is that some “devout” people -- Hindus as well as members of other religions - drive their cars with registration plates inscribed with the names of gods. Can’t they have better places on their cars for the gods? Why not on the windshield if rules permit? Even the stickers with god’s names and images on bumpers look hurting to devotees. Luckily in the US, unlike in India, there are no stray dogs to lift their hind legs even at the mere sight of a car bumper or a wheel to answer their natural urge.
Can we stop misusing the icons and religious symbols by placing them at all odd places? Can we not stop disrespecting places of worship? Can we not stop attacking temples, mosques and churches? No scriptures and no religions profess such deeds.
One need not be religious if one chooses to be so, but one can not surely be irreligious.

Sincerely,

Prashant Shah
Editor & Publisher