New Delhi, August 19, 2020: American rapper Mulatto got an earful from her Hindu fans after wearing Lord Vishnu on a revealing outfit and clubbed it with a choker which read ‘SEX.’
Following outrage from her American Hindu fans, who used the opportunity to tell her just how inappropriate it all was especially since she is a woman of color and should be much more sensitive right now when violent protests have rocked this country on racial basis.
In a statement on August 12, 2020, Mulatto said:
I apologize to anyone I’ve offended by wearing an outfit featuring the Hindu god Vishnu. I honestly didn’t know the meaning or background behind what I was wearing and it was not my intention to disrespect the religion and cultural beliefs of others.
The rapper apologized but the debate still is running wild.
A user in response to the apology said:
But they don’t own the god. They don’t own the culture. They worship the god. And they participate in the culture. People need a mental health check. Any human should be privy to any and all things that originate from this planet.
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While a Hindu user said:
That’s my religion. Can you all please be a little understanding towards our religion, it’s humanity not something very much to ask for.
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But another user’s comment just summed up what the whole point of the debate is. Here is the comment:
Okay, I don’t want to compare but this is CULTURAL appropriation. Them dressing as a god in Hindu culture is appropriation. It’s the same as when a white girl wears cornrows or box braids or when American celebrities wear kimonos as “fashion.”
Hinduism is oldest and third largest religion of the world with about 1.1 billion adherents. There are about three million Hindus in USA.
By Namta Gupta
