RantCrush Top 5: March 6, 2017

An advocacy group for the American Indian community is condemning CNN’s decision to air the first episode of the TV show “Believer with Reza Aslan.” The group calls the episode sensational because it depicts the fringe sect Aghoris, which engages in cannibalism, as the face of Hinduism. In the episode, religion scholar Aslan eats a piece of cooked human brain and interacts with Aghori members, who at one point threaten to cut off Aslan’s head.

Considering recent hate crimes against minorities in the U.S., including the shooting of two Indian men in Kansas and the shooting of a Sikh man in Seattle on Friday, the U.S. India Political Action Committee believes the show will only increase the risk of more hate and misunderstanding of Hinduism. Aslan later tweeted that it was a depiction of the Aghoris, not of Hinduism in general, but he still received a lot of backlash on social media.

This is what happens when you sensationalize Hinduism. @rezaaslan @HinduAmericans @ChakraNews @CNNOriginals pic.twitter.com/pV1AZrXTCE

— Shawn Binda (@ShawnBinda) March 6, 2017

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.