Sears.com removes certain products with Hindu deity image
Hoffman Estates-based Sears Holdings said Friday it will remove certain online products featuring the Hindu deity Ganesha, which a religious organization considered "highly inappropriate."
The Universal Society of Hinduism in Reno, Nevada, on Thursday sought an apology from Sears and the removal of bath mats, bedspreads and skateboards that featured the image of Ganesha.
The image was placed where people would be standing on it or sleeping on it, which is inappropriate, said Rajan Zed, president of the Universal Society of Hinduism, who has sought removal of similar products from other retailers.
"These items are sold by third-party sellers via the Sears Marketplace. Given the feedback we've received they are being removed," said Sears spokesman Brian Hanover.
Ganesha is highly revered in Hinduism and is meant to be portrayed in temples or at shrines in the home, Zed said. Worshipped as a god of wisdom and a remover of obstacles, Ganesha is invoked before the beginning of any major undertaking.
The group said some people saw the products on the Sears website and contacted the society, hoping to get the products removed. Zed said he contacted Sears on Thursday.
"Most of the time, these things are done just out of ignorance and are not done intentionally. But we have asked them to be removed," he said.
The Ganesha bath mat on Sears.com had two sizes and sold for $50.93 or $38.99. The Lord Ganesh bedcover sold for $14.58. The skateboards ranged from $121.99 to $188.59.
Similar products also are sold by other nationwide retailers, including Amazon, eBay, Wayfair and others.
Zed said he contacted only Sears.