Tag Archives: cultural appropriation

This is wrong in so many ways

Posted on March 13, 2013 | 69 comments

How not to use Hindu Symbolism

How not to use Hindu Symbolism

A recent comment from Karol referred to a message that she had written on tumblr saying “.. I am wearing that bindi! AND THAT KURTI! And the rudraksha and the shri yantra.I AM WEARING ALL OF THEM, SOCIAL JUSTICE BLOGGERS! AND I AM NOT CULTURALLY APPROPRIATING BECAUSE I AM HINDU, FUCKERS“. A quick search found the original message. My first thought was not to post the comment or to respond as this would just be giving attention to an attention seeker.  After further consideration I decided that I should say why I as a Western Hindu thinks that this is wrong.

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Posted in hinduism, religion

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Cultural Appropriation?

Posted on July 6, 2010 | 5 comments

Not a real Rastifarian

I recently read a blog entry that dealt with the idea that Westerners following Hinduism could be a form of cultural appropriation. I had not intended to write on this, as the post covered the issue well. The post concluded that taking things out of context and using them as an adornment to another culture is cultural appropriation. The Rastafarian dreadlocks and colours in the picture are an example of cultural appropriation, as is the Disneyfication of Mulan .

Respectful study and following of elements of another culture is not. I fully agree with this conclusion and I thought that there was not much more to be said on the matter.

Oil on Silk "Hau Mulan goes to war"

(Mulan Images from Wikipedia, film still under fair use.)

Mulan from the 1998 Disney cartoon

Then I read a Hindu Press International article about a stone in Hawaii that was worshipped by Hindus being taken away. This stone the Healing Stone of Wahiawa was sacred to the Hawaiian natives, but worshipped by a Hindu group.

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Posted in hinduism, other religions, religion

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