Skip to main content.
Religion News Blog is a non-profit service providing academics, religion professionals and other researchers with religion & cult news
ReligionNewsBlog

Religion news articles about religious cults, sects, world religions, and related issues

Navigation:
A Random Image


Related

More news articles & news archive on Religious Merchandising


Translate



Advertisements *

What is a cult: Cult Definition
Simple steps to financial health and a good credit score


Elsewhere

Calvary Chapel was founded on the alliance of pastor-teacher, Chuck Smith Jr. and hippie evangelist Lonnie Frisbee


Religious Merchandising:

French shoes with Lord Rama’s image annoys UK Hindus

ANI, via NetIndia123.com, India
July 11, 2005
www.netindia123.com

ReligionNewsBlog.com • Item 11651 • Posted: Tuesday July 12, 2005  

  • Google Bookmarks
  • Google Reader
  • Gmail
  • Yahoo Mail
  • Twitter
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Digg
  • Delicious
  • Blogger Post
  • Evernote
  • Facebook
  • Share/Bookmark
Click here... More articles on this topic: Religious Merchandising

A French footwear company has recently managed to offend just about every member of the UK’s Hindu community.

So how did they manage this feat? By selling shoes with an image of Lord Rama imprinted on them. Now it is not unusual to see Hindu images and deities on T-shirts and the like in Britain and elsewhere, but this latest manifestation is a step too far.

Because Lord Rama is one of the most revered gods in Hinduism and is known as an ideal man: his image is adored by believers, his status respected and he encapsulates the peace and humanity of Hindus. After all, religion, any religion, is not fashion, and Hinduism is the oldest religion of them all.

Anyway, despite pleas to remove the offending shoes from its shelves, the company, called Minelli, refuses to do so. This lack of action in France caused Hindu Human Rights (HHR) to stage a demonstration in Britain outside the French Embassy.

Arjun Malik, a spokesman for the organisation, explained why this was necessary to Britain’s Eastern Eye newspaper: “Enough is enough. We sent a letter to the company and they have not bothered to reply to us. Our members have been calling them up on a daily basis and we have had e-mails condemning the shoes from all over the world. We want the French government to take action. Lord Rama’s image is sacred and if we fail to act now, the offensive use of Lord Rama’s image may get worse”.

The secretary general of the Hindu Forum of Britain, Ramesh Kallidai, agrees that clothing manufacturers of all kinds should show rather more respect to a religion that has more than a billion followers across the world: “In our culture, we do not consider it respectful to put an image of a god on your feet. It is offensive to Hindus all over the world. It is sad that clothing people do this kind of thing over and over again”.

And why do the clothing people do such things so often? Well, unfortunately, there is one very simple answer. Whether it be the image of Che Guevara, Madonna, or even Lord Rama on the T-shirt or whatever, the aim is to make money. And that’s all there is to it. Sad but true.

  • Google Bookmarks
  • Google Reader
  • Gmail
  • Yahoo Mail
  • Twitter
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Digg
  • Delicious
  • Blogger Post
  • Evernote
  • Facebook
  • Share/Bookmark


What You Can Do From Here

Read More Articles On These Topics
more religion news aboutmore Religion News Blog articles about
Share, Blog About, Bookmark, or Email This Article
Subscribe
Follow Religion News Blog on Twitter


Read Another Article
Find Related Information
cult research search enginecountercult information Use our custom search engines to find additional research resources on religions and cults
Find Related Books


Most Popular Today


Share This Article

To share this page simply copy and paste one of these URL's:





Counter Cult Search

Search for information about (religious) cults, cult-like organizations, -- as well as paranormal-, New Age, and pseudoscientific claims -- across 260+ websites, blogs and forums dedicated to cult research, spiritual abuse, ex-cult counseling & support.


Note: results are listed on another domain -- CounterCultSearch.com -- from which you can easily return here.


Apologetics Search

Search for apologetics articles, books, videos, and other research resources across 135 Christian apologetics websites and blogs.


Note: results are listed on another domain -- ApologeticsSearch.com -- from which you can easily return here.

About Religion News Blog
Religion News Blog (RNB), published by Apologetics Index, highlights news items and other resources on world religions, cults, religious sects, alternative religions and related issues. RNB's non-profit news clipping service is used by - among others - Christian apologists, countercult professionals, anticult organizations, cult experts, teachers, religion professionals, reporters and other researchers.

Home
Latest Headlines
RSS news feed [?]
Headlines by Email
News Trackers
Free content for your site
About RNB
Privacy Policy
Contact RNB
Link to RNB
Advertise on RNB
Apologetics Index
Cult FAQ
Apologetics Search Engine
CounterCult Search Engine