Culturally Insensitive…You be the judge.
Recent news out of Thailand wanting to restrict tourist from getting buddhist images tattooed.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43249699/ns/travel-news/t/thailand-seeks-ban-tourists-buddha-tattoos/. Whether this issue is a question of being sacrilegious or an issue of human rights, tattoo artist speak out n regards to their government dictating which images are allowed in an official manual. Many cultures struggle with the line of separation between religion and business/government issues. Niphit identified six types of Buddhism-related images that must be banned as tattoos. 1) images of the Buddha 2) Buddhist prayer scripts 3) images of Buddhist monks & images of items used by monks: robes, alms bowls 4) Buddhist monk characters from films 5) Buddhist related buildings 6) The Wheel of Dhamma & the Buddhist flag. Other items also discussed were the ban of Buddhism-related items for commercial purposes, such as breweries, bars, restaurants, movie theaters, entertainment venues, gambling places, slaughterhouses and restrooms. Any merchandise should refrain from portraying the same religious imagery on alcohol, weapons, apparel, toilet supply, chairs and beds. Wow! Sounds like the Cultural Ministry has their hands full sorting through all their wish list of regulations. Hopefully the tattoo artists of Thailand can reach a compromise with their government on these controversial issues. www.phuketmagazine.com/tattoo-artists-seek-compromise-in-religious-tattoo-issue/
(Tattoo partial image: Tattoos by Swarm @ Studio 21 Tattoo Gallery in Las Vegas, NV.