Sponsored Links:
Gallo
Harry Fokker's design.
A DA councillor in eThekwini has lodged a complaint with the country’s religious and cultural watchdog body over satirical T-shirts made by two clothing designers, which mock Hindu deities.
But one of the artists has hit back, saying he would not bow to pressure and stop producing or selling his design.
Councillor Sharon Chetty wrote to the Commission for the Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities on Wednesday, after the Sunday Times extra published an article titled “Battle of the tacky T-shirt designs” last month.
Chetty said the designers, Michan Marais and Harry Fokker, made a mockery of Hindu culture by designing T-shirts resembling Hindu gods Lord Shiva and Sri Maha Kali, the Goddess of Destruction.
She said the artists had designed and printed the “insulting and demoralising” T-shirts for commercial gain and called on the commission to investigate her complaint and take action.
“The right to protection from such attacks is enshrined in our constitution, and for this reason I have asked the commission to investigate,” she said.
According to The Sunday Times Extra, Marais’s design had won second place in the annual Makhulu Polane T-shirt competition. It features a khaki-clad man with a beard and eight arms, sitting cross-legged on a large plant. He holds a protea, beer bottle, slingshot, mealie, braai tongs, rugby ball and a springbok head in his eight hands.
The publication quoted Marais saying that: “The people in my (Afrikaans) community used to say Hindu art was scary… But I thought it was beautiful.”
Stylistic
Marais said his design incorporated the Hindu stylistic tradition while satirising the Afrikaner community.
Fokker said the idea to reference Kali originated from a play of words in which “Kali” became “Kalifornia”, and he commissioned Trevor Paul, of Firebrand Design, to illustrate his idea.
While he realised that people might be sensitive to his work, he would not allow that to influence his art direction.
Fokker’s design features a six-armed blue character carrying objects that reinforce this idea – a decapitated Mickey Mouse head, a smoking gun, a wad of dollar notes, a hamburger, a syringe and a US flag.
“T-Shirt Terrorist would not bow to pressure from the public to remove the design. The design represents a satirical take on the moral and ethical dissolution of popular American society and does not intend to mock and or demean the dignity of Hindus or the Hindu community,” he said.
“
I will continue to display the design online and will sell it to people who purchase it… I will take any action to ban my art very seriously,” he said.
Paul said he did not find the illustration on the T-shirt offensive or harmful because it portrayed a “mythical figure and a fictitious character in satire”.
“It’s merely a two-dimensional satirical illustration and is in no way inciting hate, intolerance or persecution of any political, cultural, racial or religious group,” he said.
SA Hindu Maha Sabha president Ashwin Trikamjee said the “obnoxious symbols” were unacceptable and the designs showed careless disregard for Hindu deities and other people’s religious beliefs.
Trikamjee said a complaint would also be lodged with the Human Rights Commission.
|
|
swapnil, wrote
@ Harry Fokker : This is horrible, an insult of sacred diety of Hindus. You just cant do anything under 'rights to free expression'. Shame on stating such absurd statements & justifying it.
Joe, wrote
Some people just don't get it. This is satire. @anonymous as to your dare here is a shirt by the same guys depicting Jesus as a "druglord" http:www.tshirtterrorist.co.zaTshirtsDRUGLORD9. I don't here any of you complaining though ..? As far as I am concerned keep your religion to yourself and let other people express themselves the way they want to like any modest and compassionate individual should. It's clearly been stated and explained this is not a poke at your religion, so use your heads and quite whining.
Hayden, wrote
I'm sensing a lot of anger and hatred in the comments from people who claim to follow a religion that has a 'peaceful, non-violent nature'. Perhaps the respondents should try giving an educated, logical and well-reasoned argument as to why they find the t-shirt offensive instead of broad, anger filled, sarcastic, witless and judgemental remarks. Perhaps even, if the respondents took a less narrow minded approach and for a moment considered the artist’s point, they might find it useful to do some introspective questioning to determine if it does represent the dissolution of their religion amongst their own followers or even themselves. Now that comment is not an attack of any sort on Hinduism per se, but a social commentary on religious followers as a whole, many of whom we discover, live in ‘glass houses’.
sharon, wrote
please publish a picture of your T shirts depicting islam . I think Fokker is lying. If he had depicted islam with the same mockery he applies to Hinduism it would have made front page news. Show us the proof. And Just because harry Fokker says his design isn"t an attack on Hindu religion doesn't make it true. The fact is Hindus do feel offended and attacked when a deity is portrayed with disrespect. The same way the danish cartoons offended Muslims.
Harry Fokker, wrote
We frequently do depict both Christianity and Islam in our Tshirt designs. The design is not an attack on Hindu culture or religion, it is a comment on globalism and capitalism. We are taking the reaction of the Hindu community seriously, but won't bow to public pressure to limit our rights to free expression. An attempt to ban artwork is unconstitutional. Censorship, for any reason, is counter-productive. I'm surprised the DA has not followed this up, but not in the way this councillor would deem fitting. [Edited by IOL]
Donald Mathray, wrote
@Fokker and Fcuker Your attempt at art is pitiful.Lacks creativity,wit,humour and intelligence.Your only thought seems to court controversy,and you have got that. Your understanding of Hinduism is limited as Apartheid would not have allowed you to explore one of the greatest Religions of this world.In your ignorance you go where Rishis dwell,not a place for a heathen like you. Accept the challenge and go and depict a character from on of the other major religions and see where that takes you! Don't have the balls have you?Anyway Karma is a great leveler.
sharon, wrote
F***** wont dare ridicule Christianity or Islam in his effort( I could hardly call it art)for fear of reprisal. He clearly sees the peaceful, non violent nature of Hinduism and its followers as easy prey.Good Luck to him. He's hardly going to get his name in lights based on talent so let him court controversy instead. Who's ever heard of him before this? Hinduism is a 5000 year old religion that has survived all sorts of onslaughts. Some talentless, attention seeker isnt going to change that.
Anonymous, wrote
Hemraj R, wrote
Jess, wrote
To Marais & Fokker you might take the 'banning of your art seriously' and you might feel that this is not mocking the Deities of Hinduism. As Hindus we take our doctrine very seriously. What I can tell you is the Indian community just like any other culture would protect their doctrine...feel strongly about how our Deities are depicted. I can assure you that if we cannot change your mind, Lord Shiva and Mother Kali will...remember the Law of Karma...indeed what goes around comes around...you will pay for this somewhere, somehow...so enjoy your 'art' whilst you still can. And no..this is not an 'artful threat' just merely stating the facts...
Anonymous, wrote
If this so unoffensive, I DARE them to replace the figures with those of Christ or the Prophet Mohammed...DARE you!
Showing items 1 - 11 of 11
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Services
Buying a car has never been easy. Motoring.co.za contains a large database of car listings with a user friendly search.
Start searching today »
Business Directory
You are here: IOL / News / South Africa / KwaZulu-Natal / Satirical T-shirts anger Hindu community
We like to make your life easier
Mobile
Browse IOL on your phone at m.iol.co.za.
Newsletters
Subscribe to our newsletters. News delivered to your inbox!
Comment Guidelines