Dive Brief:
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The president of the Nevada-based Universal Society of Hinduism this weekend called on e-commerce home goods retailer Wayfair to discontinue sales of bath mats carrying the image of Hindu deity Ganesha, calling it “highly inappropriate.”
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Hindu activist Rajan Zed similarly petitioned San Diego-based online home décor company KESS InHouse (which counts among its partners Amazon, Target and Houzz) to immediately withdraw dog beds and other products carrying Ganesha images.
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Sears said Friday that at Zed’s urging it is removing from its third-party marketplace items like bath mats, bedspreads and skateboards that feature Ganesha imagery, according to the Associated Press.
Dive Insight:
Hinduism is the world’s oldest and third largest religion, with some billion adherents globally (including about 3 million in the U.S.), and should not be treated frivolously, Zed says in his materials. So he is tracking down items, sold mostly online, that feature the image of Lord Ganesha, who he says is highly revered in Hinduism and is meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines — not on items where people or dogs would sleep or put their feet.
In addition to removal of the Ganesha-decorated products, Zed has asked the retailers for an apology. Sears only said that it is removing the items for sale, according to the Associated Press.
Zed maintained in a statement that "Hindus were for free artistic expression and speech as much as anybody else if not more," but stated that attempts at "trivializing" the faith hurt its followers.
Retailers have faced similar criticisms in the past. Urban Outfitters, which has often courted controversy, last month announced a truce with the Navajo Nation, which had sued the company for appropriating the Navajo name. In addition to settling the lawsuit, the Navajo Nation and Urban Outfitters have entered into a supply and license agreement and plan to collaborate on authentic American Indian jewelry in coming years.