Urban Outfitters has come under fire from the Hindu community over a pair of $8 socks.
Rajan Zed, the president of the Universal Society of Hinduism, says that Urban Outfitters’s socks featuring the ancient deity Lord Ganesh are a misinterpretation of the Hindu religion.
‘Lord Ganesh was highly revered in Hinduism and was meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to be wrapped around one's foot,’ Mr Zed said of the socks in a statement aimed at Urban Outfitters executives.
‘Inappropriate usage of Hindu deities or concepts for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurts the devotees,’ he added.
Mr Zed’s comments, which addressed UO president Richard Hayne and company CEO Ted Marlow, has prompted the retailer to remove the socks from its website and stores.
‘We appreciate Rajan Zed and the Universal Society of Hinduism for bringing this matter to our attention and for helping us understand the cultural and religious sensitivities this product carries.
We will remove the Ganesh Socks immediately from our website and stores,’ a spokesperson for Urban Outfitters told The Huffington Post.
On their respective e-commerce link, the Ganesh socks’ product’s image has been replaced with a sign that says ‘sold out.’ They are no longer available for online purchase.
Yesterday Mr Zed took to his Twitter account to thank Urban Outfitters for their response.
‘Thanks Urban Outfitters for understanding the concerns of upset Hindus & thus apologizing & removing socks carrying image of Lord Ganesh,’ he dispatched.
Lord Ganesh is a Hindu deity that is portrayed with the head of an elephant and the body of a Siddha (a term for someone who has reached a high degree of physical and mental enlightenment).
Ganesh is considered by Hindus to be the remover of obstacles, as well as the patron saint of arts and sciences and the deity of intellect and wisdom. For these reasons, Ganesh figures are often found in yoga studio asana rooms.
Ganesh’s likeliness is also sometimes printed onto clothing produced by small, yoga-centric brands.
Courtesy:dailymail dot co dot uk
Rajan Zed, the president of the Universal Society of Hinduism, says that Urban Outfitters’s socks featuring the ancient deity Lord Ganesh are a misinterpretation of the Hindu religion.
‘Lord Ganesh was highly revered in Hinduism and was meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to be wrapped around one's foot,’ Mr Zed said of the socks in a statement aimed at Urban Outfitters executives.
The culprit: Urban Outfitters's $8 Ganesh socks have sparked backlash from the Hindu community
‘Inappropriate usage of Hindu deities or concepts for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurts the devotees,’ he added.
Mr Zed’s comments, which addressed UO president Richard Hayne and company CEO Ted Marlow, has prompted the retailer to remove the socks from its website and stores.
‘We appreciate Rajan Zed and the Universal Society of Hinduism for bringing this matter to our attention and for helping us understand the cultural and religious sensitivities this product carries.
We will remove the Ganesh Socks immediately from our website and stores,’ a spokesperson for Urban Outfitters told The Huffington Post.
Removed: Urban Outfitters has since removed the
socks from its website and says that the product will also be pulled
from store shelves
Statesman: Rajan Zed (pictured above) feels that
Ganesh's likeness should not be wrapped around a foot or be used to
draw a profit
On their respective e-commerce link, the Ganesh socks’ product’s image has been replaced with a sign that says ‘sold out.’ They are no longer available for online purchase.
Yesterday Mr Zed took to his Twitter account to thank Urban Outfitters for their response.
‘Thanks Urban Outfitters for understanding the concerns of upset Hindus & thus apologizing & removing socks carrying image of Lord Ganesh,’ he dispatched.
Lord Ganesh is a Hindu deity that is portrayed with the head of an elephant and the body of a Siddha (a term for someone who has reached a high degree of physical and mental enlightenment).
In appreciation: Zed in return, took to Twitter to thank Urban Outfitters for its quick response
Ganesh is considered by Hindus to be the remover of obstacles, as well as the patron saint of arts and sciences and the deity of intellect and wisdom. For these reasons, Ganesh figures are often found in yoga studio asana rooms.
Ganesh’s likeliness is also sometimes printed onto clothing produced by small, yoga-centric brands.
Courtesy:dailymail dot co dot uk
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