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Amazon Canada removes Lord Ganesh underwear within few hours of Hindu protest
 
Online retailer Amazon Canada removed underwear carrying image of Hindu deity Lord Ganesh from its website within few hours after upset Hindus protested calling it “highly inappropriate”.
 
“Women’s Ganesh Ganesa Ganapati 4 White Hipsters” with the image of Hindu deity Lord Ganesh on the hip on the underwear worn by the model on the Amazon.ca website, described as "Sexy Fashion Hipsters" and being sold for CDN$ 25.99 each, does not show up anymore.
 
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 Canada for understanding the concerns of Hindu community which thought image of Lord Ganesh 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 Canada and Amazon.com President Jeffrey P. Bezos to the upset Hindu community was still due.
 
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 Ganesh is highly revered in Hinduism and is meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to wear on your hips. 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.
 
In Hinduism, Lord Ganesh is worshipped as god of wisdom and remover of obstacles and is invoked before the beginning of any major undertaking.
 
Amazon.com, Inc., a Fortune 500 company founded in 1994, and headquartered in Seattle (USA), claims to offer earth’s biggest selection. Its Canada office is reportedly based in Toronto.

Earlier News:

Upset Hindus seek apology as Amazon Canada sells Lord Ganesha underwear
 
Upset Hindus are urging online retailer Amazon Canada for the immediate withdrawal of underwear, doormats, bed sheets, sweatpants, rugs, bedspreads, bedcovers, picnic beach sheets, floor mat, sweat shorts and skateboards carrying images of Hindu deities Ganesha, Shiva and Hanuman; calling it highly inappropriate.
 
“Women’s Ganesh Ganesa Ganapati 4 White Hipsters” carry the image of Hindu deity Lord Ganesha on the hip on the underwear worn by the model on the Amazon.ca website. Described as "Sexy Fashion Hipsters", these sell for CDN$ 25.99 each.
 
Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, said that Hindu deities Lord Ganesha, Lord Shiva and Lord Hanuman were highly revered in Hinduism and were meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to wear on your hip or legs or put your feet on or touch with your feet or sleep/sit on. Inappropriate usage of Hindu deities or concepts for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurt the faithful.
 
Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, also urged Amazon Canada and Amazon.com President Jeffrey P. Bezos to offer a formal apology, besides withdrawing such products, as this was not the first time for the company to offer such products which were deemed offensive by Hindu devotees.
 
Zed further said that such trivialization of Hindu deities was disturbing to the Hindus world over. Hindus were for free artistic expression and speech as much as anybody else if not more. But faith was something sacred and attempts at trivializing it hurt the followers, Zed added.
 
Amazon.com, Inc., a Fortune 500 company founded in 1994, and headquartered in Seattle (USA), claims to offer earth’s biggest selection. Its Canada office is reportedly based in Toronto.