Aslan said his show is not about Hinduism but Aghoris.
A large contingent of Indian Americans gathered outside the CNN Headquarters in Downtown Chicago after the channel aired a documentary that showcased Hinduism in a bad light.
The protest held on Sunday noon was attended by over six hundred Indian Americans who came out on the street despite light showers and registered their unequivocal protest for tarnishing Hinduism.
Dr. Shamkant Sheth President Vishwa Hindu Parishad of American (VHPA), Chicago, said: “We are here to protest against the show aired on CNN called “Believer†directed by Reza Aslan. The community is outraged by the way he presented Hinduism and the community of India. We are 2.5 million Hindus living in the country peacefully and projecting Hindus in a bad light was an evil work done by Aslan. It is a gross mistake by CNN to broadcast this show. We had requested the CNN to not to broadcast this show, but they went on to air it.â€
Many Indian American communities from across the country had voiced their displeasure for the show and they had opposed the airing of the documentary on March 5.
The protest held in Chicago was the biggest of such protests.
“Raza Aslan, even though he claims to be religious personality, which he is not, just met a few people in Varanasi who are called Aghoris [Hindu sadhus devoted to Lord Shiva], who are not more in numbers and Hindu people do not practice those now a days. I just do not understand why he chose to show this when Hinduism has offered this world so many good things like yoga and spirituality,†Sheth added.
A letter distributed during the protest read, “This was his (Aslan’s) picture of Hinduism projected to the world on CNN.â€
The protest was organized to condemn and send a message to CNN to stop such programs and to send positive messages about Hindus and Indians. The protest was organized to highlight the beliefs and identity of the community; and also, its strengths in to the mainstream media, and America, in general.
In one of his Facebook posts, Aslan had said that his show is not about Hinduism but Aghoris who follow extreme rituals.
He also said that the portrayal of sensitive issues such as caste discrimination in the documentary could have offended some people including many Hindus in America.