Brisbane Hindus Prepare to Protest "The Love Guru"

Brisbane Hindus are preparing to protest outside local theaters screening Mike Myer's new film "The Love Guru" when it opens in Brisbane on July 10.

Brisbane Hindu leader Sita Pati said that the protest is part of a worldwide Hindu backlash against the movie's disrespectful portrayal of sacred Hindu traditions.

Spearheaded by the Universal Society of Hinduism, a global umbrella group for Hindus, the reaction to the movie has mobilised many different Hindu groups. Hinduism is a culture as well as a religion, and many different groups fall under the broad banner of "Hinduism". The response to the movie has united many of these groups in opposition to the movie.

Paramount initially agreed to prescreen the movie for Hindu leaders, but later recanted.

"Paramount would never dare to release a movie that treated Islam in this way." says Sita Pati. "As we saw with the Danish cartoons, disrespect for religious tradition can lead to violence."

More than 100 people were killed in 2005 during worldwide protests following the publication of a series of cartoons mocking sacred Islamic icons in a Danish newspaper.

Local Hindu protestors, however, are more likely to protest by handing out flowers than throwing rocks, evoking images of the famous Hindu advocate of non-violent resistance, Mahatma Gandhi.

The aim of the protest, according to Sita Pati, is to raise awareness of the effects of religious intolerance and insensitivity. "In our increasingly multicultural Australia Hindus are not people living in some foreign country - they are people living next door. It's important to treat each other with respect and understanding. We're not going to knock anyone down, but we're not going to take it lying down either. Hindus are Aussies too!"

Sita Pati hasn't seen the movie "The Love Guru" but says: "Mike Myers has his hilarious moments. I was into heavy metal as a teenager, before joining Hinduism, and I laughed at Wayne's World. Now that Myers has gone on to lampoon Hindus, I'm starting to wonder if he's following me."

Sita Pati, born Joshua Wulf in Auckland, New Zealand, was ordained as a Hindu priest in the Gaudiya Vaisnava sect in 2002.

The Gaudiya Vaisnava branch of Hinduism, popularly known as the Hare Krishnas, is the most well-known and fastest growing branch of Hinduism among western converts. It is a monotheistic faith, similar to Christianity, Judaism, and Islam in its belief in a single supreme God.

The Hare Krishnas are well known throughout Australia for their vegetarian food and for brightening cities streets with their singing and dancing.

The Love Guru, a Paramount Pictures comedy starring Mike Myers (of "Austin Powers" fame), Jessica Alba, Justin Timberlake, Ben Kingsley; and directed by Marco Schnabel opens in Australia on July 10.