International media outlet ‘The Guardian‘ Monday reported about the incident where a gunman opened fire in a school in the central Russian city of Izhevsk, killing at least six people and injuring 20 before killing himself. While reporting on the horrible killing, the media outlet, in keeping with its Hinduphobic propaganda, stated that the killer was wearing a jacket with the holy Hindu ‘Swastika’.
It is worth mentioning that this is the tactic used by Hindumisic propagandists who intentionally link ‘Swastika’ to the Nazi Hakenkreuz (hooked cross) in order to indicate that Hindus draw their inspiration from Nazis.
In line with Hinduphobic propaganda, the article published by The Guardian on September 26 with the headline, “Gunman with swastika on T-shirt kills 15 at Russian school,” read that the killer was dressed all in black, with a red Swastika in a circle drawn on his T-shirt. It further said that the police were looking into the Swastika-wearing killer’s “adherence to neo-fascist viewse and Nazi ideology”.
Likewise, many other international media houses like Global News, The Times, vice.com, Toronto Sun, South China morning post and NBC News displayed the same Hinduphobia while reporting about the incident. They too referred to the gunman who adhered to Nazi ideologies as a ‘Swastika-wearing killer’.
Anyone looking at the symbol on the gunman’s jacket will notice that the symbol these media outlets are egregiously dubbing Swastika is actually the Nazi Hakenkreuz. It’s not exactly rocket science to distinguish between the two. There are some obvious contrasts between the holy Hindu Swastika and the Nazi symbol. These popular foreign media outlets, however, continue to overlook the facts and blatantly link the two symbols to malign Hindus.
These western media houses, that partook in this grotesque exercise of defaming the Hindu symbol and comparing it with the emblem that represented one of the most brutal cults that the world had witnessed in the 20th century, probably, need to be re-educated.
Swastika and the Hakenkreuz debate
There is a huge difference between the two symbols, which they have ridiculously considered as one and the same, thereby not only hurting Hindu feelings but also displaying their innate Hinduphobia.
When translated from its Sanskrit root, Swatika comprises of ‘su’ meaning ”good” and ‘asti’ meaning ”to be”. In other words, well-being. It dates back some 6,000 years to rock and cave paintings. Scholars generally agree it originated in India.
It has also meant a symbol of good luck, prosperity and all things auspicious for other ancient cultures, including the Vikings and Greeks, besides Hindus, Buddhists and Jains.
A religious symbol for Hindus, the Swastika was first mentioned in the Vedas. It symbolises many things like Surya (the sun) and Brahma, the creator. It is seen as a power symbol and is also the emblem of Ganesha, the god of good luck. In both Hinduism and Jainism, the Swastika is used to mark the opening pages of account books, doors and thresholds.
In fact, it is found that the Swastika was also used in Ancient Greece and can be found in the remains of the ancient city of Troy, which existed 4,000 years ago. The ancient Druids and the Celts also used the symbol. It was used by Nordic tribes and even early Christians used the Swastika as one of their symbols, including the Teutonic Knights, a German medieval military order, which became a purely religious Catholic Order.
Furthermore, the American Jewish Committee, one of the country’s oldest Jewish advocacy organizations, released a leaflet clarifying the distinction between the Swastika used for millennia by Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist cultures and the deformed Nazi version of it.
Hindu organisations and activists in Australia condemn proposal for inclusion of Swastika in hate symbols
In fact, in May the Hindu Council of Australia issued a press release wherein it objected to the proposal to include Swastika in hate symbols. They pointed out that while the Council stands with the authorities and communities to ban the hate symbols, it “strongly opposes the prohibition or criminalisation of our ancient, auspicious and holy symbol, the Swastika.”
They further added that it was disappointing that MP referred to the Nazi symbol as Swastika and not as “Hakenkreuz” or the Hooked Cross.
The Council further urged the MP to publicly clarify that prohibition would be limited to the Nazi hate symbol ‘Hakenkreuz’ and NOT the holy Swastika.
This came after Queensland MP Annastacia Palaszczuk had proposed to ban ‘the public display of hate symbols such as swastikas’. After MP Palaszczuk announced the proposal, the Hindus strongly objected to it and urged the MP to change the language of the proposal.
Speaking to OpIndia, Australian barrister and Australian Hindu Association President Amendra Singh said, “Unfortunately, there is widespread ignorance amongst Australian politicians and media on this issue. You recently had the Queensland Premier tweeting (now deleted) that her government would ban swastikas.”
“Such ignorant and insensitive representation of Hindu symbols will continue so long as these people obtain their information from elites who have no understanding of our culture or sensitivities. Australian decision-makers need to take a close and hard look at who they rely on for advice on Hindu issues; and who they invite on committees that advise them. This would never have happened if they had spoken to a single ordinary Hindu,” he added.
Victoria state in Australia introduces bill to ban Nazi symbols but exempts Swastika
In a similar legislation introduced earlier this month, the state of Victoria in Australia is also planning to ban hate symbols including the Nazi hooked cross. However, the bill recognised the difference between the Nazi Hakenkreuz and the religious symbol Swastika from the beginning and said it will be allowed. The legislation says that it will come into effect one year later to allow for a community education campaign to raise awareness of the origins of the religious and cultural swastika, its importance to the Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain communities and its distinction from the Nazi symbol.
California proposed an amendment to differentiate between peaceful Hindu Swastika and Nazi Hakenkreuz
On May 23, California Legislative Assembly Member Rebecca Bauer-Kahan read Assembly Bill 2282 for the second time with specific amendments that would differentiate between peaceful Hindu Swastika and Nazi Hakenkreuz. Once the bill is passed by the Assembly, it would decriminalise the Hindu Swastika.
Notably, Hindu American Foundation has been extensively working on educating the general public as well as the lawmakers about the difference between the Nazi Hakenkreuz (hooked cross) and the Hindu holy symbol Swastika. In a tweet, the organisation wrote, “California Legislative Assembly Member Bauer-Kahan responds to education efforts of Hindu American Foundation and California Dharma communities to amend #AB2282 & decriminalise the Hindu Swastika!”
Canadian MP called for differentiating Nazi Hakenkreuz and the Hindu symbol
On March 1, Chandra Arya, an Indian origin member of the Canadian Parliament, issued a speech calling upon the members of the house and all Canadians to distinguish between the Hindu religious sacred symbol Swastika and the Nazi symbol Hakenkreuz.
Hindu holy symbol regularly defamed by the International and liberal media and the left intelligentsia
However, this is not the first time that international media or the Indian liberal media and the left intelligentsia have been caught blatantly exhibiting their blatant Hinduphobia and purposefully linking the holy Hindu Swastika to the Nazi symbol.
In 2018, Reuters too displayed blatant Hinduphobia by comparing Hindu Swastika to the Nazi Hakenkreuz.
In March this year, when the Russian invasion of Ukraine intensified, news organisation India Today found an opportunity to slander Hindus while pretending to attack Russian President Vladimir Putin. In a report describing how the letter Z has become Russia’s symbol for war, India Today said ‘it is the new swastika’ in the headline on 8th March 2022.
In the report that did not lead the reader in any certain direction except the defamation of the Hindu symbol Swastika, India Today alleged that Russia’s symbol of war is nothing but a new ‘Swastika’. Russia’s symbol of war was ‘Z’ but India Today somehow linked it with the Hindu symbol of ‘Swastika’, alleging that the ‘Z’ is a new form of ‘Swastika’.
It is worth noting that this is the same modus operandi adopted by Hindumisic propagandists who deliberately link ‘Swastika’ to Hakenkreuz, in order to imply that Hindus are like the Nazis.
AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, in 2019, shared an image that depicted a man running behind a ‘Swastika’ shape with a club in his hand, driving out the symbol that is considered holy in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism in India.
