Phalgun Krushna paksha 10/11, Kaliyug Varsh 5116
Zazzle.com, an online shopping portal selling various products such as iphone covers, T-shirts, pillows, key chains, business cards, mouse pads, bags, etc with pictures of Hindu Deities and the holy Hindu symbol ‘Om’ resulting in denigration.
Alert Hindus notified Forum for Hindu Awakening (FHA), about this denigration. Accordingly, Forum for Hindu Awakening wrote to Zazzle.com, but there has been no response from them. (The letter explaining the denigration is published latter on this page.)
Sale of various products having pictures of Hindu deities and ‘Om’ at below links :
T-shirts
http://www.zazzle.com/tshirts?dp=252424840367676198&cg=103973908131013387&ps=120
Leggings
http://www.zazzle.com/leggings?dp=252563832471770531&cg=103973908131013387&ps=120
Pillow
http://www.zazzle.com/goddess_of_fortune_lakshmi_pillow-189659704390927200
iPhone covers
http://www.zazzle.com/iphone+cases?dp=252505187618583290&cg=103973908131013387&ps=120
Key chains
www.zazzle.com/keychains?dp=252090209411759530&cg=103973908131013387&ps=120
Hats
http://www.zazzle.com/hats?dp=252594705637709091&cg=103973908131013387&ps=120
Apron
http://www.zazzle.com/aprons?dp=252568324206520313&cg=103973908131013387&ps=120
Hinduism Bumper sticker
http://www.zazzle.com/bumperstickers?dp=252949095836841694&cg=103973908131013387&ps=120
Hinduism Business cards
http://www.zazzle.com/businesscards?dp=252055618931521092&cg=103973908131013387&ps=120
Hinduism Buttons
http://www.zazzle.com/buttons?dp=252254553165908169&cg=103973908131013387&ps=120
Calendar
http://www.zazzle.com/calendars?dp=252513642373596836&cg=103973908131013387&ps=120
Magnets
http://www.zazzle.com/refrigerator+magnets?dp=252925389927508471&cg=103973908131013387&ps=120
Bags
http://www.zazzle.com/bags?dp=252483252952235992&cg=103541050063757752&ps=120
Drinkware
http://www.zazzle.com/drinkware?dp=252178814251104427&cg=103973908131013387&ps=120
Mouse pads
http://www.zazzle.com/mousepads?dp=252154836656836858&cg=103973908131013387&ps=120
Ornaments
http://www.zazzle.com/ornaments?dp=252583962754855233&cg=103973908131013387&ps=120
Postage stamps
http://www.zazzle.com/stamps?dp=252079753551460346&cg=103973908131013387&ps=120
Post cards
http://www.zazzle.com/postcards?dp=252327810402568479&cg=103973908131013387&ps=120
Posters
http://www.zazzle.com/posters?dp=252939023122309392&cg=103973908131013387&ps=120
Ties
http://www.zazzle.com/ties?dp=252797263644627051&cg=103973908131013387&ps=120
Please see below the email sent by FHA to Zazzle.com
From : Hindu Awakening <[email protected]>
Date : Fri, Feb 20, 2015 at 3:44 PM
Subject : Complaints regarding your products with the pictures of Hindu deities
To : [email protected]
To whom it may concern,
We at Forum for Hindu Awakening have received several complaints from devout Hindus regarding the sale of products such as T-shirts, leggings, key chains, iphone cases, mouse pad, postage stamps, post cards, etc. with religious symbols (Om, Sriyantra, etc.) & Hindu deities on your online shopping portal http://www.zazzle.com. Although many products have Hinduism related Deities or symbols, please see below some of the links where Hindu religious symbols & deities’ images have been used :
T-shirts
http://www.zazzle.com/tshirts?dp=252424840367676198&cg=103973908131013387&ps=120
Leggings
http://www.zazzle.com/leggings?dp=252563832471770531&cg=103973908131013387&ps=120
Pillow
http://www.zazzle.com/goddess_of_fortune_lakshmi_pillow-189659704390927200
iPhone covers
http://www.zazzle.com/iphone+cases?dp=252505187618583290&cg=103973908131013387&ps=120
Key chains
www.zazzle.com/keychains?dp=252090209411759530&cg=103973908131013387&ps=120
Hats
http://www.zazzle.com/hats?dp=252594705637709091&cg=103973908131013387&ps=120
Apron
http://www.zazzle.com/aprons?dp=252568324206520313&cg=103973908131013387&ps=120
Hinduism Bumper sticker
http://www.zazzle.com/bumperstickers?dp=252949095836841694&cg=103973908131013387&ps=120
Hinduism Business cards
http://www.zazzle.com/businesscards?dp=252055618931521092&cg=103973908131013387&ps=120
Hinduism Buttons
http://www.zazzle.com/buttons?dp=252254553165908169&cg=103973908131013387&ps=120
Calendar
http://www.zazzle.com/calendars?dp=252513642373596836&cg=103973908131013387&ps=120
Magnets
http://www.zazzle.com/refrigerator+magnets?dp=252925389927508471&cg=103973908131013387&ps=120
Bags
http://www.zazzle.com/bags?dp=252483252952235992&cg=103541050063757752&ps=120
Drinkware
http://www.zazzle.com/drinkware?dp=252178814251104427&cg=103973908131013387&ps=120
Mouse pads
http://www.zazzle.com/mousepads?dp=252154836656836858&cg=103973908131013387&ps=120
Ornaments
http://www.zazzle.com/ornaments?dp=252583962754855233&cg=103973908131013387&ps=120
Postage stamps
http://www.zazzle.com/stamps?dp=252079753551460346&cg=103973908131013387&ps=120
Post cards
http://www.zazzle.com/postcards?dp=252327810402568479&cg=103973908131013387&ps=120
Posters
http://www.zazzle.com/posters?dp=252939023122309392&cg=103973908131013387&ps=120
Ties
http://www.zazzle.com/ties?dp=252797263644627051&cg=103973908131013387&ps=120
Forum for Hindu Awakening is a nonprofit organization that strives to awaken society to the unique spiritual science behind Hindu Dharma concepts and practices, to motivate people to live and preserve them, and to facilitate the spiritual progress of humanity. One of the ways we do this is by addressing misrepresentations of Hinduism.
According to spiritual science, the word, touch, form, taste, fragrance and the energy associated with them coexist. Whenever any image of a Deity or a divine symbol like Om is used, the divine energy also accompanies it. It helps devotees to obtain the divine or spiritual energy from it. However, when Hindu Deities and symbols are used on items like T-Shirts, leggings, mouse pads, etc. they are touched with dirty hands, get thrown around and once old eventually turn up in the waste bin or drains, etc. This amounts to denigration of revered Deities/religious symbols, which is hurtful to the religious sentiments of Hindus and insults Hinduism. Deities’ images/religious symbols should be used only in sacred places like Temples and that too only for the purpose of worship them, and not on T-shirts, mouse pad or consumables. We feel that manufacturers use images of Hindu Deities & Hindu religious symbols to increase sales, but actually it is denigration.
We had approached a bikini manufacturer in Australia for similar reason and they withdrew their products after realizing the insult it does to Hinduism.
One US based company ‘Om Shanti Clothing’ was selling women’s undergarments on which pictures of Deities were printed. On learning about the matter, the management of the Company has since rendered apology and withdrawn such stock from the market.
Well-known German fashion brand “Front Row Society” headquartered in Berlin withdrew leggings carrying image of Lord Shiva and apologized after upset Hindus protested.
In view of above we request you to stop advertisement/sale/manufacture of products with Hindu deities’ symbols/pictures & remove categories like Hinduism & Hare Krishna from your shopping portal. Awaiting your prompt action and reply.
Sincerely,
Forum for Hindu Awakening
Source : FHA
