Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2002, Page 71
medical care, scrubbed with steel wool until their skin bled, and prevented from leaving the
school. (Ananova, 2/7/02, Internet)
Hare Krishnas Win Suit for "Mocking" Them /United Kingdom
ISKCON in the U.K. recently won a suit against the House of Fraser, Ltd., that includes an
award of £17,500 in compensation, legal costs, and a public apology, all for "mocking" the
group in an ad.
The House of Fraser published a double-page advertisement in the April 2001 issue of The
Face magazine that featured Hare Krishna Hindu devotees and included the text: "Linea
Directions wear it and pity those who can't exclusive to House of Fraser. If I wasn't a
chanting, cymbal banging easily led nutcase who'd been brainwashed by some loony
religious sect, I could be wearing Linea Directions' extra-fine marino sweater and linen
jeans."
Shivarama Swami, the head of the Hare Krishna movement in the UK, said of the decision:
"This is not just a victory for the Hare Krishna movement, or even just a victory for
Hinduism this is a victory for the rights of religious worship and expression. This will set a
standard for the future and be a warning to other companies not to use someone's religious
faith as a nasty and spiteful advertising campaign." (Press release from ISKCON, 2/25/02,
Internet)
Kashi Ashram/Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati
Kashi Ashram Leader Accused of "Brainwashing"
Several former key members of Ma Jaya Bhagvati's Kashi Ashram. Headquartered near San
Sebastian, Florida, are accusing her of brainwashing, intimidation through violence, illegal
drug use, and siphoning off nonprofit funds for shopping and gambling sprees.
Bhagavati is a Jewish housewife with three children, formerly known as Joyce Greene, who,
at age 32, left New York City after a vision of Jesus and two Hindi spirit guides ignited in her
an interfaith odyssey of preaching racial, ethnic, and religious tolerance. Her organization's
crusade against AIDS and its promotion of world peace have earned the group citations for
public service.
Kashi now presides over an 80 acre sanctuary with 150 residents, including a blend of
teachers, psychologists, lawyers, bankers, and other assorted white- and blue-collar
vocations, each of whom is given a Hindu name. United in communal living, they help with
maintenance, prepare vegetarian meals, practice yoga, meditation, and celibate lifestyles.
Former Kashi PR director Richard Rosenkranz said, "I know I'm going to look like a total
dupe, a fool, a moron, but it will not stop me from telling the truth? No. This needs to come
to an end. This sham needs to stop."
Financial questions
Salvatore Conti, a jeweler from Woodridge, NY, moved to the ashram in 1989 and became
involved, as treasurer, in raising money, through sales of Bhagvati's paintings and ceramics,
for construction of a 40-room convalescence house for AIDS patients. "I'm a gay man, and
I've lost many friends to the AIDS virus," he said. "I very much admired what she wanted to
do." But the house never went up, he said, because Bhagavati squandered the half-million
dollars raised for its construction.
Conti said that he watched Bhagavati go on spending splurges — "never less than $1,000 a
week" — for clothes, jewelry, CDs in triplicate, vacations disguised as missionary work, and
cosmetic surgery. "Spending money was a compulsive thing with her," and her appetite
included casino gambling, at which he says sarcastically, "this spiritual woman once spent
medical care, scrubbed with steel wool until their skin bled, and prevented from leaving the
school. (Ananova, 2/7/02, Internet)
Hare Krishnas Win Suit for "Mocking" Them /United Kingdom
ISKCON in the U.K. recently won a suit against the House of Fraser, Ltd., that includes an
award of £17,500 in compensation, legal costs, and a public apology, all for "mocking" the
group in an ad.
The House of Fraser published a double-page advertisement in the April 2001 issue of The
Face magazine that featured Hare Krishna Hindu devotees and included the text: "Linea
Directions wear it and pity those who can't exclusive to House of Fraser. If I wasn't a
chanting, cymbal banging easily led nutcase who'd been brainwashed by some loony
religious sect, I could be wearing Linea Directions' extra-fine marino sweater and linen
jeans."
Shivarama Swami, the head of the Hare Krishna movement in the UK, said of the decision:
"This is not just a victory for the Hare Krishna movement, or even just a victory for
Hinduism this is a victory for the rights of religious worship and expression. This will set a
standard for the future and be a warning to other companies not to use someone's religious
faith as a nasty and spiteful advertising campaign." (Press release from ISKCON, 2/25/02,
Internet)
Kashi Ashram/Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati
Kashi Ashram Leader Accused of "Brainwashing"
Several former key members of Ma Jaya Bhagvati's Kashi Ashram. Headquartered near San
Sebastian, Florida, are accusing her of brainwashing, intimidation through violence, illegal
drug use, and siphoning off nonprofit funds for shopping and gambling sprees.
Bhagavati is a Jewish housewife with three children, formerly known as Joyce Greene, who,
at age 32, left New York City after a vision of Jesus and two Hindi spirit guides ignited in her
an interfaith odyssey of preaching racial, ethnic, and religious tolerance. Her organization's
crusade against AIDS and its promotion of world peace have earned the group citations for
public service.
Kashi now presides over an 80 acre sanctuary with 150 residents, including a blend of
teachers, psychologists, lawyers, bankers, and other assorted white- and blue-collar
vocations, each of whom is given a Hindu name. United in communal living, they help with
maintenance, prepare vegetarian meals, practice yoga, meditation, and celibate lifestyles.
Former Kashi PR director Richard Rosenkranz said, "I know I'm going to look like a total
dupe, a fool, a moron, but it will not stop me from telling the truth? No. This needs to come
to an end. This sham needs to stop."
Financial questions
Salvatore Conti, a jeweler from Woodridge, NY, moved to the ashram in 1989 and became
involved, as treasurer, in raising money, through sales of Bhagvati's paintings and ceramics,
for construction of a 40-room convalescence house for AIDS patients. "I'm a gay man, and
I've lost many friends to the AIDS virus," he said. "I very much admired what she wanted to
do." But the house never went up, he said, because Bhagavati squandered the half-million
dollars raised for its construction.
Conti said that he watched Bhagavati go on spending splurges — "never less than $1,000 a
week" — for clothes, jewelry, CDs in triplicate, vacations disguised as missionary work, and
cosmetic surgery. "Spending money was a compulsive thing with her," and her appetite
included casino gambling, at which he says sarcastically, "this spiritual woman once spent
