> The Attack on Lord Ganesha: > The Fraud and Why it Happened> > 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.> > With permission from the Infinity Foundation (Princeton, New Jersey,> U.S.A.), we encapsulate 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.> > HAF urges you to immediately:> > *      Register your outrage by sending an online protest letter here> <http://www.kentaxrecords.com/haf/emory_email.htm>. > *      Read the full summary of this issue here> <http://www.kentaxrecords.com/haf/emory_summary.htm>. > > What You Can Do:> > 1. Click here <http://www.kentaxrecords.com/haf/emory_email.htm> to send a> protest email.> > 2. Read the full summary of this issue here> <http://www.kentaxrecords.com/haf/emory_summary.htm>> > 3. Forward this email to anyone you feel should be aware of this issue.> > > Enter a friend's email address to pass on this action alert:  >  > > >   <http://www.kentaxrecords.com/haf/gfx/cover.jpg>> > Cover of Ganesa: Lord of Obstacles, Lord of Beginnings by Paul Courtright