Reza Aslan, a scholar of religion has scripted a new television show which contains multiple instances of full frontal male nudity practiced in 'Hinduism'.
The show is called Believer, and it premieres Sunday night on CNN. And yes, it's about religion, though Aslan, who is Muslim, attests that "it's a show about religion.
The hourlong series explores two domestic and four international religious groups: Ultra-Orthodox Judaism in Israel, Hindu asceticism in India, Vodou in Haiti, Santa Muerte in Mexico, Scientology in the United States, and an apocalyptic doomsday cult in Hawaii. The series is produced by Whalerock Industries.
The sect is termed as Aghori and as reported it widely challenges ideas of purity by consuming human flesh. But "Believer" doesn't offer as much enlightenment as its title and premise might suggest. The main problem is that some of the chosen believers in the first few episodes are ultimately unbelievable.
Many of the groups and leaders featured here are so fringe that their bizarre philosophies and theatrics distract from Aslan's main mission - to demystify lesser understood faiths and find a commonality that makes us all believers in something.
People are not happy with the show as he has called Varanasi, "City of Dead" as rumoured. They took social media to express their disbelief and anger.
Fault is all ours. We have failed to create any Indian international media outlet like Al Jazeera, Russia Today, France 24 https://t.co/u5XksoWD9b
— Divya Kumar Soti (@DivyaSoti) March 4, 2017
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No @CNN Kashi is known as one of the oldest "living" cities in the world (since 2000 BCE) continually inhabited by the living.Facts please? https://t.co/nqbEIDUKdS
— Advaita Kala (@AdvaitaKala) March 4, 2017
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New CNN show presents Varanasi, the oldest living city on the planet, as "city of the dead". https://t.co/B2K5NJH6Pc
— Amit Thadhani (@amitsurg) March 3, 2017
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.@cnn giving an Islamic apologist prime time platform for polemics against Hinduism. Imagine outrage if it was against Islam. @RajivMessage
— Sankrant Sanu सानॠ(@sankrant) March 3, 2017