| Date: | June 14th, 2014 |
|---|---|
| Time: | 2 - 6pm (UTC-08:00) |
| Location: | 3333 Bristol Street in Costa Mesa, CA at the South Coast Plaza Shopping Center |
(Costa Mesa, CA, U.S.A) – It was a ” remarkable protest” answered a #TakeOffJustLogo campaign spokesperson when asked about the Orange County demonstration on Saturday, June 14, 2014 against Roberto Cavalli’s misappropriation of the Sufi sacred emblem. The peaceful protest took place at the South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa where Roberto Cavalli has a boutique. With the mall’s approval, protests occurred inside the mall directly in front of the Roberto Cavalli store, and also outside the mall, in grievance Roberto Cavalli’s disrespectful use of their faith’s trademark religious symbol.
The demonstrators were energized and passionate about their cause, so much so that outsiders who were walking by or driving by parked their cars, approached the demonstrators, asked for more information, signed the online petition and even joined the demonstration! This and much more made the Orange County demonstration remarkable.
The purpose of the demonstration was to raise awareness to the public as well as to Roberto Cavalli, that the Sufi students were not going to stand idly by as Mr. Cavalli misuses and misrepresents their internationally recognized and religious symbol. The Sufi symbol represents Allah, the heart, balance, harmony and love. It is associated with a 1400 year heritage of the M.T.O Shahmaghsoudi School of Islamic Sufism, is documented for 150 years and has been trademarked for 27 years.
Roberto Cavalli has used the Sufi emblem as the logo for his new line “Just Cavalli.” He has stated the symbol now represents a “snake bite” which signifies the original sin and the deadly sins. This is in diametric opposition to the true meaning for the Sufis, which is outrageously insulting for the peaceful group. To the campaigners this is a clear sign of religious intolerance and discrimination. Mr. Cavalli is no stranger to this type of controversy. In 2004 Mr. Cavalli was accused of the same type of religious intolerance and disrespect aimed at the Hindu faith. He had printed pictures of the Hindu Gods on women’s bikini. The Hindu community protested Roberto Cavalli’s disrespect of their faith, which eventually led to the removal of the merchandise.
Demonstrators inside the South Coast Plaza stood in front of the Roberto Cavalli boutique and set up a table with informational posters, banners, leaflets and the #TakeOffJustLogo petition. They provided one-on-one campaign information to mall patrons who readily signed the petition after they learned about Roberto Cavalli’s trespass on the Islamic Sufi faith. People sincerely empathized with the #TakeOffJustLogo campaign and agreed that Roberto Cavalli must remove the Just Cavalli logo from all merchandise.
Sufi students have vowed they will not stop the #TakeOffJustLogo campaign and will continue to raise awareness through social media and demonstrations until Mr. Cavalli removes their sacred logo from his Just Cavalli line. A spokesperson states “we have picked up great momentum from the support we are receiving from both our own campaign members as well as complete strangers and members of the media.” With great passion and momentum this campaign has held global demonstrations all around the world including, Paris, Germany, London, New York, Washington DC, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Francisco, Vancouver, Toronto and many more are planned for the upcoming weeks.
Below is a link to a short #TakeOffJustLogo documentary, which explains the significance of symbols and helps one understand the importance of protecting religious emblems from misappropriation.
If you would like to host a demonstration in your city, please contact us