1/26/2005: Hindu swastika

[Troubleshooter]

An idea just occured to me.

Wouldn't banning the swastika be a form of religious persecution or discrimination?

One has to wonder how many temples there are in europe where the symbol is displayed...

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by axlrosen

"You find it in houses, temples and in portraits of Hindu gods. A swastika is even painted on the head of a baby who's just had his first hair-cutting sacrament."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4188141.stm

And the next paragraph reads

The Hindu swastika faces to the right, unlike the one adopted by the Nazis which faces to the left.

Which is definitely not true. It's the Buddist swastika that faces left.
But thanks for finding that story in that it explains a lot.

[mmmmbacon]

Originally Posted by axlrosen

Yes, I think we're all actually mostly in agreement here - we just weren't sure what this campaign is trying to do. So I Googled around and found that this campaign actually is in response to the aftermath of Prince Harry's outfit. People are calling for a Europe-wide ban on displaying swastikas, and Hindus are trying to educate people that the symbol has other meanings than Nazism.

"You find it in houses, temples and in portraits of Hindu gods. A swastika is even painted on the head of a baby who's just had his first hair-cutting sacrament."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4188141.stm

In that light, it all sounds pretty reasonable. Except for the part about a Europe-wide ban on displaying swastikas. File that under Useless Policies to Placate the Public.

[javelin]

I'm not Jewish but I think it would a shame if people didn't associate it with the Natzis' so we'd remember the terrible things they did.

[Pi]

The germans don't call the swastika "swastika" but "Hakenkreuz" which means "cross with hooks" when they think of the nazi-symbol... so they have 2 different names with 2 meanings for the same symbol. This, I think, makes it lot easier to make a difference...

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by javelin

I'm not Jewish but I think it would a shame if people didn't associate it with the Natzis' so we'd remember the terrible things they did.

Well actually the holocaust was more linked to the SS so the Jews can use that as a symbol of remembrance/reminder. Considering the number of holocaust museums and memorials around the world it's unlikely anyone will soon forget.
So many peoples used variations of the swastika as important symbols in their culture it wouldn't be fair to to say they suddenly have to abandon it because it offends a few. certainly people are smart enough to take it in context.
Oh...and welcome to the Cellar, Javelin.

[wolf]

Originally Posted by Beestie

Who named it the "Swastika?" Is that the original name or is that what the Nazi's named it??

I think Swastika is the original name. The German name is "Hakenkreuz" (hooked cross).

I'm all for the reclaiming.

I am actually very concerned by the trend of Germany, and Europe in general to outlaw the Swastika, or other signs and symbols of the NSDAP.

Reminds me far to much of Winston Smith carefully correcting the news.

It also makes it easier for the Holocaust deniers to deny things, if their existance is wiped away, piece by piece.

[mmmmbacon]

Originally Posted by wolf

I think Swastika is the original name. The German name is "Hakenkreuz" (hooked cross).

I'm all for the reclaiming.

I am actually very concerned by the trend of Germany, and Europe in general to outlaw the Swastika, or other signs and symbols of the NSDAP.

Reminds me far to much of Winston Smith carefully correcting the news.

It also makes it easier for the Holocaust deniers to deny things, if their existance is wiped away, piece by piece.

Absolutely. That's why some of the most valuable exhibits in the holocaust museums are the documents that verify a Nazi conspiracy to systematically murder Jews, gypsies, and other 'undesirables'. I notice those are some of the most prominently displayed items.

[OnyxCougar]

I really don't understand how people can deny the holocaust happened.

[Happy Monkey]

They want to be able to hate Jews without being associated with mass murder, which they can't do without denying the mass murder in the first place.

[OnyxCougar]

so all the pictures and testimonies and people who survived and soldiers who liberated are ?? faking? lying? delusional?

[Happy Monkey]

See this thread. They think it's a conspiracy to trick people into sympathising with Jews.

[OnyxCougar]

Here is a link of a link of a link...

http://www.crystalinks.com/swastika.html

[moksha]

Don’t get me wrong , yes the swastika to many people not just Jews , is a reminder of the horror of the holocaust, but its true meaning is not what the majority perceive it to be. In fact it is actually a symbol of peace, creation and oneness with a higher consciousness. Although this has been the general meaning of the symbol for thousands of years in eastern Asia, as well as in parts of Europe, northern Africa and North America, it has become bastardized and distorted by the Nazis, as a symbol of genocide, death, darkness and pure evil.

I don’t want to change people’s views of the swastika I just want to highlight that there is a whole history of the swastika before Nazism. Before people become judgmental about the symbol’s use in today’s religions, they should educate themselves on its true meaning, a meaning that is completely opposite to the warped views of Hitler.

Therefore if one is offended by the use of the symbol for religious purposes one can be able to understand that the swastika symbolizes a completely different meaning than what the tyrannical Nazi party used it to represent.

[xoxoxoBruce]

You're right moksha, most people will upon seeing any variation of a swastika immediately think of the Nazis. But if they think a little before reacting negatively, everybody wins.
Welcome to the Cellar.