Upset Hindus urge Melbourne firm to withdraw Hindu gods playing cards deck & apologize

Upset Hindus are urging Melbourne area (Australia) based online marketplace MyDeal.com.au for immediate withdrawal of playing cards deck carrying images of various Hindu deities; calling it highly inappropriate.

 

Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that these Hindu deities were highly revered in Hinduism and were meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to be tossed/shuffled around with unwashed hands at gambling card games including poker at casinos or other places, drinking card games, card throwing competitions, “sleight of hand” entertainment, etc. Inappropriate usage of Hindu deities or concepts or symbols for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurt the devotees.

 

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, also urged MyDeal.com.au CEO to offer a formal apology; besides withdrawing “Divine Art Playing Cards Hindu Mythology” from company’s online store.

 

Placing greatly venerated Hindu deities—Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Lakshmi, Sararswati, Krishna, Parvati, Radha, etc.—on a deck of cards was highly disrespectful; Rajan Zed indicated.

 

Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about 1.1 billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought and it should not be taken frivolously. Symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled, Zed noted.

 

Rajan Zed further said that such trivialization of Hindu deities was disturbing to the Hindus worldwide. Hindus were for free artistic expression and speech as much as anybody else if not more. But faith was something sacred and attempts at trivializing it hurt the followers, Zed added.

 

“Divine Art Playing Cards Hindu Mythology” playing-card deck was priced at $39.95

 

Awards-winning MyDeal.com.au, launched in 2012 and whose tagline is “Everything for your home”; claims to be “Australia’s most trusted online marketplace” and “leaders in Australian retail & technology”; with over 300,000 products, 2,000 lifestyle departments, over 500,000 customers, and over two million parcels shipped Australia-wide.

 

Hinduism is one of the fastest growing religions in Australia, and according to 2016 census, formed 1.9% of the country’s population numbering at 440,300.