Burger King apology to Hindus for advert

Burger King has been forced to apologise to Hindus after it showed a revered Indian goddess with a 'forbidden' Whopper burger.



The fast food chain quickly withdrew the advertisement from its stores in Spain after Hindus across the world complained at the denigration of their religion.

The advertisement shows a picture of Lakshmi, the Indian goddess of wealth, above one of the burgers, which are forbidden under Hindu religion.

The 'Texican Whopper' is an affront to Hindu sensitivities in its own right – it includes an all-beef patty, a beef chilli-con-carne slice, egg-based Cajun Some devotees would even be offended by the inclusion of onions which they believe inflame passions

mayonnaise, all forbidden by strict Hindus. Some devotees would even be offended by the inclusion of onions which they believe inflame passions.

But it is the depiction of Lakshmi which has provoked widespread anger with its suggestion that a Hindu deity eats beef.

The goddess and the burger were placed under a slogan claiming 'La merienda es sagrada' – the snack is sacred.

Burger King quickly withdrew the posters and issued an apology after world Hindu leaders condemned the chain for its insensitivity.

"We are apologising because it wasn't our intent to offend anyone," said spokeswoman Denise T Wilson. "Burger King Corporation values and respects all of its guests as well as the communities we serve. This in-store advertisement was running to support only local promotion for three restaurants in Spain and was not intended to offend anyone.

"Out of respect for the Hindu community, the limited-time advertisement has been removed from the restaurants," she added. continues here

BID FOR TRADITIONAL HINDU CREMATION

An elderly Hindu man is going to the High Court in a bid to win the right to be cremated on a traditional open-air funeral pyre when he dies.

In a test case on religious burials, Davender Ghai, 70, is challenging a refusal by Newcastle City Council to permit him to be cremated according to his Hindu faith.

His human rights application is being supported by a wide range of Hindu organisations.

The local authority contends that a pyre outside a crematorium is prohibited by the 1902 Cremation Act.

Mr Ghai's lawyer, Andrew Singh Bogan, said a successful challenge would "create a precedent for all local authorities to grant open air funeral pyres if there was demand in their area".

Mr Ghai, founder of the Anglo-Asian Friendship Society (AAFS), was refused a permit for an open-air cremation site in a remote part of Northumberland in February 2006.

His legal team will argue at a three-day hearing before Mr Justice Cranston, sitting in London, that the law does not prohibit a religious cremation outside a crematorium.

They will contend that, if it does, it is incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.

They will ask the judge to declare it is discriminatory and breaches Mr Ghai's right to protection for his private life and religious and cultural beliefs.  continues here