Hindus Object to 'Nude Durga' in Toronto Newspaper

[Guest guest]

Here's an unusual controversy. During Navratri, the Toronto Star,

Canada's leading daily newspaper, published a Reuters wire-service

photo of an artist preparing a statue of Durga Devi for a Dussehra

procession. The still-incomplete statue was nude. This is the photo:

 

http://story.news./news?tmpl=story&u=/030914/170/59kiv.html

 

Many Hindus were shocked and offended. India Cause, a U.S.-based anti-

defamation group, said, "[This] was the [the Star's] gift to the

Indian community on the auspicious day of Dussehra. They published

[this] blasphemous and entirely misleading picture of the Goddess

Durga in the October 4th issue. This picture prominently appeared on

1/3 of the printed page and was probably made bigger than the article

itself."

 

India Cause argues, "Would Toronto Star or Reuters dare to publish

a "NUDE" Virgin Mary on Christmas Day? If you are offended by this,

please forward your comments to (Attorney General of Canada, Ontario

Press Council, Human Rights Commission, Advertisers of The Star, The

Star Management, Premier Elect of Ontario and Reuters) Also circulate

this page to your friends for their protest."

 

The URL is: http://indiacause.com/Cause/C23_thestar_durga.htm

 

Today (Oct. 11), the Star published the following apology (which

India Cause has already dismissed as a "shameless justification"):

 

UNDRAPED GODDESS

 

Durga is the multi-armed, Hindu goddess of power. Each fall, statues

of Durga are worshipped for nine days at prayer festivals, and

immersed in water.

 

Last Saturday, the Star ran a Reuters photo of a craftsman in India

making a statue of Durga. It ran with a feature on Hindu festival

preparations here.

 

The idol in the large colour photo was unclothed, dramatically so.

The picture stirred strong protests from some Hindu readers who said

the undraped, frontal view was at least disrespectful, at

worst "blasphemous."

 

Said an editor: "We're sorry if this representation of the goddess

offended some readers. It was unintentional." An effort to photograph

a local statue being built had failed, she explained. So the wire

photo was used.

 

Apparently, the Star didn't understand the idol would never appear

unclothed.

 

When asked, several Hindus said the photo didn't offend them.

 

Still, it's a reminder that matters of faith are delicate. Editors

need to guard against insensitivity.

 

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?

pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1065737414341&call

_pageid=968256290204&col=968350116795

 

So: What's your opinion? Should the Star be taken to task for

publishing this photo? Is India Cause making too big an issue of it,

or are they right to be educating the West on respectfully

approaching subjects that are sacred to the Hindu community?

 

Please share your views with us!

 

DB