An ad created by the Meat and Livestock Australia to promote the consumption of lamb, as a meat acceptable to all religions, has got the goat of Hindus worldwide.
The ad spoofs almost all religions, from Christianity to Islam. A group of Hindus from the US led by Rajan Zed, a US-based Hindu leader have written to the MLA asking them to withdraw the ad immediately. The group has also threatened to launch a global boycott to Australian meat, if the ad in question continues.
Zed says, "Lord Ganesha is highly revered in Hinduism and he is meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to be used in selling lamb meat for mercantile greed. Linking Lord Ganesha with meat is very disrespectful and highly inappropriate." The annual festival of Lord Ganesha concluded early this week.
The two-minute video campaign continues with the theme that Lamb is the dish that brings everyone together, with the line, 'The meat more people can eat. You never lamb alone'. In this film, gods, goddesses and prophets of different faiths and beliefs come together over Lamb at a modern day spring barbecue.
In the ad, which is showcased as the meeting of all religious heads chaired by Moses, Ganesha, the Hindu god with an elephant head, is seated at the centre of the table. Buddha is shown as poking fun at Ganesha saying "let's address the elephant in the room", to which Lord Ganesha is quick to take offence and retorts that such statements were not acceptable 2,000 years back, and they are not acceptable even today.
The ad also spoofs other religions like Christianity, Islam and even modern religions like the Church of Scientology.
Watch the film here:
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