Local e-commerce site Maltashopper has removed a pair of socks depicting a Hindu god from its website after a US-based cleric said they were offensive.

The website took action after Rajan Zed, a Nevada-based activist who set up the Universal Society of Hinduism in 2011, flagged the “highly inappropriate” socks in a statement to the press.

Zed said the company was trivialising Hindu deities by offering socks depicting them and other Hindu concepts.

The socks in question are manufactured by a company called Hop Hare.

“Featuring a charming Ganesha design, these socks add a touch of spirituality and cultural significance to your outfit. Ganesha, the Hindu deity known as the remover of obstacles, symbolizes wisdom, prosperity, and good fortune. With these socks, you can carry a piece of ancient wisdom with you wherever you go,” the product description reads.

Zed said the product was highly inappropriate.

“In Hinduism, Lord Ganesha is worshipped as god of wisdom and remover of obstacles and is invoked before the beginning of any major undertaking,” he explained.

“Hindus are for free artistic expression and speech as much as anybody else if not more. But faith is something sacred and attempts at trivializing it is painful for the followers,” he said.

Maltashopper apologises for offence

Maltashopper is an intermediary website, offering products sold in Sicilian shops to Maltese residents. 

A Maltashopper spokesperson told Times of Malta they were removing the socks from their website after Zed contacted them directly.

The socks were no longer visible on the company's website at the time of publication. 

In an email seen by Times of Malta, the company apologised to Zed for any offence caused. It explained that products listed by its suppliers are automatically imported to its website, meaning items are not always manually checked before appearing for sale. 

“Our commitment to cultural sensitivity and respect for all religious beliefs is paramount,” the company told the Hindu cleric as it apologised for the incident.

The company said it was also flagging the issue with the socks’ supplier.

“Our aim is to implement measures that include checks for cultural and religious sensitivities, possibly involving more stringent guidelines for our supplier,” it said.

“We are committed to learning from this incident and making the necessary adjustments to our operations to better honour and respect the diverse communities we serve.”

Zed is known for his active campaigning for companies to remove products featuring Hindu symbolism.

In 2019, US outdoor retailer REI stopped selling a yoga mat featuring an image of Ganesh and apologised after Zed campaigned for them to do so. The Hindu cleric has also targeted Amazon for selling items depicting Hindu deities, US ice-cream retailer Baskin-Robbins for including beef-derived gelatin in one of its ice cream flavours and the Bank of Canada for using beef tallow to manufacture its banknotes.

In Malta, Zed’s efforts have so far been predominantly focused on the country’s lack of a crematorium. That, he has said, means Hindus in Malta are forced to bury their loved ones, “in contradiction of their long-held beliefs that burial hindered the soul’s journey.”