Denigration of Shri Ganesh by 'Eshe Skate Boards' : Complaint lodged by HJS with ‘Cyber Crime’

Updates

• Complaint lodged by HJS with ‘Cyber Crime’ (25 oct 2012)
• Protest : Denigration of Shri Ganesh by 'Eshe Skate Board' from New Zealand ! (13 Oct 2012)

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Protest : Denigration of Shri Ganesh by 'Eshe Skate Board' from New Zealand !

Mumbai : ‘Eshe Skate Board’ is a company in New Zealand that manufactures skate boards (used for skating in snow). This company has manufactured skate boards with the theme of ‘Religion is garbage’. On this skate-board, a picture of Shri Ganesh has been printed thus hurting religious sentiments of billions of Hindus. On the same subject, pictures of Jew ‘Dharmaguru’  Moses and Mohandas Gandhi have also been printed on other skate boards.

Devout Hindus are registering protest on the following e-mail IDs Info@esheskateboards.com, info@roughdiamonddist.com Hindus can also appeal 'Advertising Standards Authority of New Zealand' to take action on 'Eshe Skateboards' for hurting religious sentiments of Hindus and also people of other faiths Email : asa@asa.co.nz

An advertisement of the skate-board was published at Auckland. The company has plans to sell skate-boards and Tee-shirts. The spokesperson of ‘Eshe Skate Baord’ told the Australian media that the company decided to use cartoons only for fun.

Despicable desecration of Shri Ganesh

Shri Ganesh has been named as ‘Hashish Ganesh’. In this picture, Shri Ganesh has been shown with a cigar and pipe in His hands; He is also shown as smoking and smoke is coming out of His ears. 

Source : Dainik Sanatan Prabhat

Protest Letter by HJS

Hindu Janajagruti Samiti

Regd. No. 1540/I-634,12112002

Add: 8,Jayshree Siddhivinayak co.op.hsg.society. Shivajinagar, Thane(W) 400602

Email: contact@hindujagruti.org Website: www.hindujagruti.org

IISreeII

To,                                                                                                                          

Eshe Skateboard Co.
PO Box 10260, Dominion Road, Auckland 1446.
Ph  (+64) 09 6232762
www.esheskateboards.com

Dear Sirs,

Subject : Request to stop the advertisement of 'Eshe skateboard’ denigrating Lord Ganesha

Hindu Janajagruti Samiti is an NGO engaged in Nation building, educating people on Dharma (Righteousness) and awakening and uniting Hindus peacefully and through lawful means. For details, please visit our website www.HinduJagruti.org.

It is observed that you have released images of Lord Ganesha, Jesus, Mohammad Paigamber, Mahatma Gandhi etc. in controversial advertisements as part of your latest "Religion is Garbage" campaign. The company intended the advertisements to be controversial by denigrating Religion and faith. Further company's plan to put God's pictures on skate boards will denigrate Lord Ganesha and insult crores of Ganesha devotees allover world. The advertisement can be seen on website - www.esheskateboards.com. In this advertisement you have shown Hashis Ganesha is smoking and smoke is coming out through the ears.

Please note that Indians and New Zealand citizens have friendly relations. There are so many foreigners taking advantage of rich Indian culture and moral values and bringing ray of hope and bliss in their tired and hopeless routine life. We will certainly help you in providing good pictures and guidance in this subject. Also there are good relations between two countries about trade and tourism. Hence we should not create enmity and hatred. Showing Gods as a smoker and joker will not be tolerated. Crores of Hindus have faith and respect towards Lord Ganesha.Some of them have written to you. We have also received a lot of complaints in this matter. We always pray and respect our God’s pictures but you have purposely insulted them. For example you may be respecting your parents. If some one spits on your parents photographs and puts them under the shoes and breaks in front you, how will you feel? Will you take it as a joke in lighter way? Thus showing Lord Ganesha in a blasphemous way and putting on the skateboard so that it will come under the feet is very insulting and disgusting.

We appreciate your new ideas but request you not to use your freedom which creates pains to others. This will not only create enmity, disorder but will also adversely affect your business operation as people will boycott your products. Hence it would be appropriate on your part to immediately stop such defamatory advertisement and apologize to all Hindus for hurting their religious sentiments.

Please acknowledge this letter and inform us in writing about the action taken by you failing which we will be forced to start protest campaign and legal action against you.


We await your prompt action and reply.

Yours truly,

(S.G.Vatkar )
Hindu Janajagruti Samiti

Reply given by Eshe Skateboards

From: Eshe Board Co. <info@esheskateboards.com>
Date: 12 October 2012 12:55
Subject: Re: Request to stop the advertisement of 'Eshe skateboard’ denigrating Lord Ganesha
To: SG Vatkar


Dear S.G.Vatkar,

Your concern has been duly noted and understood. I have also visited your website as requested.

Firstly, I would point out that we are based in Auckland New Zealand (where the street posters were placed) and were we have a substantial Indian & Fijian-Indian population. Being a vegetarian myself, I very much enjoy the Indian food, culture and festivals, such as the Diwali festival held in our city centre. It is possible to respect & enjoy what a great many cultures have to offer, without having to also respect irrational religious beliefs or it's political ideas. Because I also enjoy Vodka and Eastern block propaganda art, does that mean I'm a foreigner taking advantage of the communist ideals to bring a ray of hope to my "tired and hopeless routine life"? I can also enjoy Easter & Christmas, without having to believe in talking snakes, virgin births and that a god sacrificed himself to himself because of rules he invented.

Also, I would like to point out, that these posters and products have been put out in the freemarket of ideas and we did not intrude into any place of worship or private residences to promote our views. All emails of complaint, all seem to have have been generated by your website and not by anyone who had the chance of seeing the actual product or poster. Not that this would in anyway effect our position.

I would like to confirm we have no intention to stop selling one of our most popular items, our Hashish Ganesh skateboard and T-Shirt. Even though we think our controversial "Religion is Garbage" illustrations are hilarious, they also have some important points to make and those points are as follows.

1/. Free speech can and must include speech that could cause offence in some portions of society. Freedom of speech must include dissenting speech, otherwise it is obviously not free speech. Contrary to the view expressed by followers of your website, freedom of speech is NOT freedom to hear only the speech you agree with.

2/. Blasphemy is am important right, that must be defended. Throughout the ages, religion has used it position of authority for the intuitional cover up of child rape, torture and murder of infidels and apostates, subjugation of certain castes deemed "untouchable", the use and threat of violence to suppress free speech, the exploitation of vulnerable and gullible by priests & gurus in a position of self appointed authority. Right now, in the 22nd century, there are young people in jails around the world, facing jail terms or even death for the victimless crime of blasphemy. In solidarity with those living were blasphemy is a crime punishable by jail terms or worse, we will not cower to those who have the hubris to demand we cannot mock religious icons.

3/. Those "ideas" who claim absolute knowledge of how the world works and that wish to impose their world view the citizens, can not be above criticism and mockery. We would not stand for it, if politicians expected the same. You ask if it is ok, to spit on a picture of my parents. If my parents are in the public arena making claims about the world and if they are demanding respect for their irrational beliefs, demanding government to prosecute those deny those beliefs and demand special tax breaks etc., you are free to disrespect them all you like and I would probably join you. Otherwise it is a poor analogy to make.

4/. I do not wish to live in a society, were honest thought and doubt is a crime, nor do I wish to live in totalitarian society or theocracy. In times when there are those, that want use threats of violence or use "hurt feelings" as an excuse to silence those who doubt (or makers of bad movies for example), it is more important than ever, to test the system to make sure our freedoms are not being held hostage by religious zealots.

Lastly I would like to point out that "hurt feelings" is a very poor excuse to stifle the free speech of others. I think it is an incredibly patronising view to think that believers must to be treated like children, in case they get their feelings hurt. I have more respect for religious folk than that.

You do not have to like what we do, but in New Zealand, we have the freedom to satirise anyone and anything. And you are free to protest us and boycott us if you like, but to be honest I think that would only help gain more notoriety for our brand and our goal of bringing awareness to these free speech issues. If you take legal action against us, we will cross that bridge when it comes, but the bottom line is that I see no compelling reason to stop anything we are doing and we will continue marketing and promoting our current line of products.

I will leave you with a great quote by the "Great Infidel" and US Civil War veteran, Robert Green Ingersoll, "This crime called blasphemy was invented by priests for the purpose of defending doctrines not able to take care of themselves." I prefer the more concise: Blasphemy is a victimless crime.

Best Regards,

Kennedy Poynter
Founder.

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Complaint lodged by HJS with ‘Cyber Crime’

October 25, 2012

Mumbai : ‘Eshe Skate Boards’ a Company manufacturing boards used for skiing and ‘T shirts’ from New Zealand was involved in desecration of Sri Ganesha. The above news was published by ‘Sanatan Prabhat’ in its issue dated 5th October. Thereafter, few devout Hindus sent e-mails to the above company protesting against such desecration and demanding prevention of the same. The Company has, however, given insolent replies dismissing demand made by devout Hindus. (People from various countries including the most developed country like USA are following Hindu Dharma although they advocate materialism because they have realized the importance of Hindu culture. ‘Eshe Skate Boards’ has no right to hurt religious sentiments of anyone. If they do not understand the matter with amiability, Hindus should make them understand in lawful manner ! – Editor SP)

Mr. Shivaji Vatkar, the district coordinator of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) for Mumbai, Thane and Raigad has written a letter to the said Company demanding to stop such desecrating advertisements and stop manufacture of such products, rendering apology to all Hindus. The Company is manufacturing skate boards on which ‘Religion is garbage’ is written with pictures of Shri Ganapati smoking a hookah, Prophet Mohammad with bombs in His turban and on stomach, decomposing Moses (Jews’ Dharma-Guru) and ‘Randy Gandhi’ engaged in indecent act are printed. It is mentioned in the letter that such pictures have severely hurt national and religious sentiments of all Indians. It has been further mentioned in the protest letter that ‘Such acts can have adverse effect on relations between India and New Zealand, the two friendly nations including trade between these two countries. The Company may be owned by intellectuals and atheists but it has crossed all limits of culture and decency by committing such sin.’

The Company has taken note of HJS letter and informed them, ‘We like Indian culture; they are vegetarians. We, however, promote materialism going out of the rut; as such we will neither withdraw this advertisement nor stop production. This is our innovative style and such controversy is, in fact, of our benefit, it is stated in the letter shamelessly.

Mr. Vatkar has, therefore, registered a complaint with ‘Advertising Standard Complaint Board’, New Zealand which has informed Mr. Vatkar of taking necessary action while acknowledging receipt of the complaint. Mr. Vatkar has also lodged a complaint with the senior Police Inspector, ‘Cyber Crime Cell’ and demanded to block the links of the said Company’s website. The concerned department has promised to soon take necessary action. As the matter is sensitive from the viewpoint of patriots, similar complaint is also going to be lodged with Foreign/ External Affairs Ministry and Consulates.

The pictures have been posted on http://esheskateboards.com/product/ and on link as http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/blasphemous-campaign-by-muckmouth and their posters have also been displayed in the local markets.

Source : Dainik Sanatan Prabhat