Demands for apology

Religious leaders have demanded a Jim Carrey sketch be censored for poking fun at Hindu god Lord Ganesh.

They are demanding an apology after a skit on America’s Saturday Night Live in which Carrey named a sex act after the multi-armed elephant-headed deity.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed said: ‘Lord Ganesh is highly revered in Hinduism… Such an absurd depiction of Lord Ganesh, with no scriptural backing, is hurtful to devotees. It’s also disturbing and offensive to the one billion Hindus around the world.’

He demanded broadcaster NBC immediately remove footage of the Tantric ‘N’ Tasty sketch, in which Carrey played a sex guru called Lee Licious, from the internet and issue a public apology.

The Hindus have been backed by other religious spokespeople, who believe mocking any sort of iconography is unacceptable.

Rabbi Elizabeth W. Beyer, a lawyer from Nevada said: ‘Making fun of someone’s religion or god is not within keeping with our ideals as members of a civilized community.

‘This skit should be removed from the NBC website. Jim Carrey, NBC and others responsible for lampooning Lord Ganesh should provide public apologies.’

Buddhist Minister ‘Jikai’ Phil Bryan from the Forum for Hindu Awakening added: ‘All of us in America are for free speech, but such faith is so precious and sacred that ignorant mocking and satirical display is very painful for devotees.’

And Annabelle Younger from the International Society for Krishna Consciousness described the sketch as ‘extremely offensive and completely tasteless’.

Published: 24 Jan 2011