Action Alert
Paul Courtright, Professor
and Interim Chair of the Department of Religion at Emory
University (Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.), recently reprinted
a book entitled, Ganesa: Lord of Obstacles, Lord of
Beginnings. This book contains highly obscene psychoanalytical
interpretations of the origin and symbolism of this most
revered, respected, and beloved of Hindu deities. His shocking
undressing of Ganesha while narrating a scurrilous story
of sex, phallic symbolism, and incestuous relationships
is nothing but a malicious attack. In so doing, Prof. Courtright
exhibited appalling anti-Hindu insensitivity.
The Hindu American Foundation
(HAF), preparing to launch as a non-affiliated voice for
Hindu Americans, firmly believes that the misinterpretations
perpetuated by Prof. Courtright, and some of his colleagues,
humiliate Hindus, ridicule and devalue Hindu beliefs and
symbols, promote hatred and intolerance towards Hindus,
and ultimately create a climate where attacks on Hindu “pagans”
or “infidels” and their institutions increase.
Indeed, attacks on Hindus and Hindu temples are steadily
increasing. HAF fully supports the Constitutional guarantee
of freedom of speech. However, academic integrity requires
an appreciation of the beliefs and sentiments of the billion
Hindus that practice the religion that he and others in
academia view as exotic abstractions.
We’ve encapsulated
the debate within academia and the wide-ranging analysis
of the context in which such attacks occur as recently published
by Rajiv Malhotra on the Indian webzine sulekha.com.
HAF is pleased that the
publisher of the reprint has ceased publication and distribution
of the book. However, to this date, Prof. Courtright has
not acknowledged that his Freudian analytic methodology
has been widely discredited by other noted scholars. Dr.
Courtright has also not acknowledged that no Hindu sampradaya
(religious tradition) accepts his obscene sexual interpretations
of Ganesha – they see his interpretations as erroneous
at best and gratuitously malicious at worst.
Please learn more
about this issue through the full
issue summary or further
reading.
HAF
Responds to Biased Coverage of Emory-Courtright Issue in
Washington Post
