Thursday, November 03, 2005

URGENT MESSAGE FOR BRITISH HINDUS: please send this letter of protest to Royal Mail

oct 3rd

sorry, can't forward the email document file, but the content is inline below.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Info@transputec.com <Info@transputec.com>
Date: Nov 3, 2005 2:08 AM
Subject: URGENT MESSAGE FOR BRITISH HINDUS: please send this letter of protest to Royal Mail
To: rajeev.srinivasan@gmail.com

Dear Hindu brothers and sisters,

Royal Mail have refused to withdraw the stamp of two Hindus holding baby Christ. As you know this is unacceptable. Royal Mail have the IT infrastructure to be able to send a message to all 17,000 Post OFfices in the country asking every Post Office counter to stop selling the stamp, yet they chose not to do so. Please therefore:

1. Send the attached letter by email to:alex.batchelor@royalmail.com;
julietta.edgar@royalmail.com; jennie.longden@royalmail.com; gardinerb@parliament.uk; press.office@royalmail.com; contactus@royalmail.com


2. MOST IMPORTANT PLEASE ALSO POST A HARD COPY OF THE LETTER WITHOUT USING YOUR RETURN ADDRESS AND WITHOUT AFFIXING ANY STAMPS TO:Mr Alex Batchelor
Chair, Stamps Advisory Committee
Royal Mail Headquarters 148
Old Street LONDON EC1V 9HQ


By sending a letter without stamps, it will be left at a collection centre for 7 days, thus clogging up the deliveries. This is a non-violent civil protest that will communicate our message while maintaining law and order.

WE URGE YOU TO PASS THIS EMAIL TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND ASK THEM TO SEND THE EMAIL AND MAIL A HARD COPY OR COPIES OF THE LETTER TO ROYAL MAIL. PLEASE TREAT THIS AS VERY URGENT.

Regards

From the Hindu Forum of Britain National Executive Committee

_______________________________________

Email to:
alex.batchelor@royalmail.com
julietta.edgar@royalmail.com
jennie.longden@royalmail.com
gardinerb@parliament.uk
press.office@royalmail.com
contactus@royalmail.com

4 November 2005

Mr Alex Batchelor
Chair, Stamps Advisory Committee
Royal Mail Headquarters 148
Old Street LONDON EC1V 9HQ


Dear Mr Batchelor

Sub: Withdrawal of Christmas stamp depicting Hindus holding a baby Christ

It is with deep anguish and anger that we write to you to ask Royal Mail to immediately withdraw the Christmas stamp depicting two Hindus holding baby Christ.
By bringing this stamp out without consulting the Hindu community in Britain, Royal Mail has clearly shown gross insensitivity and thoughtlessness.

The stamp may be a 17th century impression of an Indian artist hanging in the Mumbai museum, but that does not mean it is appropriate for use in a stamp that is primarily targeted for use as postage destined for India.

There are many issues of Christian proselytisation, conversion through intimidation at gun point, and human rights abuse against Hindus by Christian terrorists in North East India that are deeply emotive. We also believe that many of the paintings and pieces of art commissioned by the British in 17th and 18th Century India had an ulterior motive to evangelise India. If you are wishing to foster a multicultural Britain, would you issue a stamp showing baby Krishna in the arms of a Christian couple? And if you are discussing historical art, there are many medieval paintings showing white traders inhumanely whipping slaves of African origin - do you think those would be appropriate just because they are historical art?

All my family and friends are deeply hurt by Royal Mail's indifference. Please instruct Royal Mail to withdraw the stamp without delay. You have said it is difficult for logistical reasons as the stamp has already reached 17000 post offices. That is not correct.  We know very well that you have the facility to issue a message to every Post Office counter asking every clerk to stop selling this stamp. It can be done, if there is a will.  If you do not withdraw the stamp, we will have no option but to join a major protest that is being planned.

Yours faithfully,




Cc: Barry Gardiner, Minister for Efficiency
       Julietta Edgar, Head of the Philatelic Sector






4 comments:

Anonymous said...

How Sabarimala is getting evangelised by Christist terrorists, well funded by the fanatics:

http://www.haindavakeralam.org/PageModule.aspx?PageID=79&SKIN=K

Anonymous said...

The painting was done in 1620 and is an Indianized version of The Holy Family with St. Anne and the two angels. The Indian Man and Woman are supposed to be Joseph and Mary holding the baby Jesus. I would think that Indian Christians would be more upset considering that the depiction pictures Joseph and Mary as a Hindu couple.

I think the Hindu Forum in Britain should be sued for the protest.

Anonymous said...

Hey Anony.. eat your heart out, read and weep:

Hindu Forum in UK: kudous, hats off to you guys.

---------
Daily Mirror
5 November 2005

JESUS STAMP AXED
A 68p Christmas stamp has been withdrawn after Hindus claimed it was offensive.

The stamp depicts the Virgin Mary with traditional Hindu markings on her forehead worshipping the baby Jesus.

Royal Mail said stocks of the stamp bearing the 17th century painting from Mumbai, India, will run out in three days and only be available on request.
-----------------

Anonymous said...

In response to my email, I received this:
**************

Royal Mail thanks you for your comments regarding the Christmas Stamps for 2005.

Our intention for Christmas 2005 was to use the enduring image of
‘mother and child’. We specifically wanted to explore how the theme had been interpreted across the world. It was certainly not the intention to offend
the Hindu community.

We apply a rigorous research process to all our stamp development and in this instance we sought and acted on the advice we were given. With hindsight we now recognise that we should have consulted further and we are
currently reviewing these processes in order to improve and reinforce them.

In recognition of the potential sensitivities we have asked the Post Office® branches to offer the standard 68p stamp and only offer the 68p Christmas stamp if it is requested specifically. No further stocks of the 68p Christmas stamps will be distributed to Post Office® branches.

We would therefore like to offer our sincerest apologies for any upset that the publication of these stamps may have inadvertently caused. We would
also like to remind you that there are alternative 68p stamp designs
available.

Yours sincerely
Caroline Chaplin

Royal Mail Headquarters

Royal Mail is a trading name of Royal Mail Group plc. Registered in England and Wales.
Registered number 4138203. Registered office at 148 Old Street, LONDON EC1V 9HQ