The swastika is a widely known symbol.

It has been used for centuries.

 

It is revered by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains, whereas the West stigmatize it for its brief association with a shitbag ideology.

I am horrified to find that it is a crime in many western countries to display it, even by the original users of it.

 

Just because Nazis adopted it in the 1930's , doesn't mean it is a symbol of the devil.

The Nazis stole the swastika as far as history is concerned.

We should not be anti-swastikas just cause some deranged fool made it his own.

 

If say, the Cross was used by Hitler, would the  Christians be replacing their holy sign?

 

Also, the Swastika used by Nazis is different to the real one, then why the discrimination against the real one too?

 

The Swastika is a holy sign for many people and should not be stigmatized like it is being today.

^^

 

props to this man

On a technicality Christianty did swap cross symbols somewhere around 400-500 AD IIRC. Though I completely get where you're coming from, many buildings even across Europe have swasticas weaved into the design and it is in no means a link to the third reich.

On a technicality Christianty did swap cross symbols somewhere around 400-500 AD IIRC. Though I completely get where you're coming from, many buildings even across Europe have swasticas weaved into the design and it is in no means a link to the third reich.

 

There are in fact a bajillion cross variants: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_cross_variants

 

Agreed about the swastika.

Am I missing something?

Did someone pass a law regarding swastikas?

The swastika is a widely known symbol.

 

^^There be your issue^^

 

The people who complain are the people who don't know. That and nobody notices the different orientaton (45° and mirrored)

Totally agree with you, swastika has been a symbol for good luck and prosperity among many cultures, but to be fair a tilted swastika with no other decorations will undoubtedly be viewed as a nazi's symbol, because that specific swastika it's.

Does this mean I can put a swastika in my profile picture again?

 

[Completely joking. @Sister Midnight

I'm not afraid of symbols, flags, t-shirts, bumper stickers, or any form of expression. I'm more concerned about the people that are afraid of them. I believe everyone should be free to show and wear whatever they want. It would be so much easier to locate the terrorists if they would fly their flag. I mean come on people... tell us how you feel!

It is definitely illegal in Germany, SBG as far as I know. Which is fair enough given their history.

You learn something new everyday! I didn't know the buddhists used a different type of swastika. It is indeed a mirrored version of the hindu one. In the image, the top right is hindu swastika, bottom left the buddhist one, and the bottom right the nazi one

 

It's not that even the hindus were the originators of the symbol. Archaeological evidence suggests that it was being used in 13000 BC, long before the Hindu religion came into being.. It was considered a good luck charm in 1900s, which is probably part of the reason why the Nazis adopted it. In fact, I saw many logos of societies of the time that used the swastika in creative ways. I will post them when I find them. 

 

As for the Nazis stealing the icon, here is a great answer by someone on quora

 

 

 The Nazi swastika's resemblance to Hindu symbol is no accident. The Nazis had substantially twisted Hindu ideals to suit their needs. The word "Aryan" that Nazis were so fond of is from the Sanskrit word "Arya" meaning supreme, pure -- to denote a class of people. While in Hindu sense it is used in more positive contexts (suave, refined, scholarly), for the Nazis the word meant the supreme race.

 

Heinrich Himmler, the dreaded head of the SS, called himself a Kshatriya (the second highest caste), performed yoga exercises and carried the Bhagvat Gita. He was delusional in assuming himself as the Arjuna (the hero of Mahabharata). He assumed that he was leading a just war. See: Nazi leader Heinrich Himmler a fan of yoga - Telegraph

 

One of the key thought leaders in the Nazi group -- Savitri Devi (actually a French woman with the original name Maximiani Portas) -- claimed Hitler to be an avatar of Hindu god Vishnu. According to Hindu mythology the last avatar of Vishnu -- Kalki -- would destroy the world and take the good people to start a new cycle. For the Nazis, Hitler was the Kalki. As Savitri Devi thought herself as a thinker, she called herself a Brahmin (top caste in Hindu system) and married one. It was she who connected the India's rebel leader Netaji Bose to the Axis powers (especially Japan). (For his part, Bose married an Austrian - Emilie Schenkl and the couple was treated very well by the Germans.)

 

Hindus were/are not interested in any of these crazy comparisons of Nazi leaders with Hindu gods and for the most part unaware of what Hitler did after he wrote his autobiography. There are no holocaust deniers, however some fringe Hindu groups are still fond of Hitler & his boys (Hitler's "Mein Kampf" was always among the best sellers in the bookshops), while also believing Israel is the ultimate model for India & Jews as the model for Hindus. Oh, the irony! Balaji's answer-Quora

Edited November 19, 20178 yr by Fermion

It is definitely illegal in Germany, SBG as far as I know. Which is fair enough given their history.

Wouldn't that be against freedom.of expression?

it was even on post cards in the us

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is definitely illegal in Germany, SBG as far as I know. Which is fair enough given their history.

Wouldn't that be against freedom.of expression?

 

That isn't universal, nowhere it is universal.

In Germany it represents a regime that murdered millions of people in that country and other central European countries. Thus, it is reasonable for it to be banned there. Sort of the way you don't post pornography in the public lobby on discord. On the other hand, in other non-central European countries, it might be frowned upon, but there is not as much reason to ban it. Such as putting said images in the NSFW-or-just-gross channel on discord.

 

 

 

It is definitely illegal in Germany, SBG as far as I know. Which is fair enough given their history.

Wouldn't that be against freedom.of expression?

That isn't universal, nowhere it is universal.

Nothing is actually universal.

 

 

It is definitely illegal in Germany, SBG as far as I know. Which is fair enough given their history.

Wouldn't that be against freedom.of expression?

 

That isn't universal, nowhere it is universal.

 

Slippery slope. I'm usually very pro-free speech, but I'm very conflicted about some key issues as of late. If we allow the swastika to be displayed, do we also allow Muhammad's seal? Even though the former is mostt frequently associated with Nazism (in Europe at least) and the latter with ISIS? It also largely depends on context. E.g. no reason to ban them in a video game where you're actually killing Nazis (like Wolfenstein), but I would like to have a word with the guy who puts it on his bumper sricker.

"the former is most frequently associated with Nazis"

 

That's just bs.

Swastika can never be made a thing of the the Nazis.

This is what we call ignorance.

 

I now agree with betsy.

"The people who complain are the people who don't know."

That's just bs.

Swastika can never be made a thing of the the Nazis.

This is what we call ignorance.

In Europe it already is. If you walk out on the street with a swastika on your t-shirt in, say, Paris, 90% of the people will not see a good luck symbol, they well see a symbol of hate. That's just the state of things.

Sometimes it only takes one douche bag to ruin something. This was an entire empire of douche bags.

 

Nothing is actually universal.

 

 

Some think some stuff is...

 

 

Slippery slope. I'm usually very pro-free speech, but I'm very conflicted about some key issues as of late. If we allow the swastika to be displayed, do we also allow Muhammad's seal? Even though the former is mostt frequently associated with Nazism (in Europe at least) and the latter with ISIS? It also largely depends on context. E.g. no reason to ban them in a video game where you're actually killing Nazis (like Wolfenstein), but I would like to have a word with the guy who puts it on his bumper sricker.

 

 

Think you will find no swastika in german video games.

 

Sometimes it only takes one douche bag to ruin something. This was an entire empire of douche bags.

 

Such douchebags have ruined alot of previously benign symbols. Some do get rehabilitated eventually, or perhaps the "bad stuff" forgotten in history.

Think you will find no swastika in german video games.

 

I know. It's BS.

 

 

Such douchebags have ruined alot of previously benign symbols. Some do get rehabilitated eventually, or perhaps the "bad stuff" forgotten in history.

 

 

Do you see that being possible in our life times? Even to this day people use the swastika as a symbol of hate. The inhuman acts of Nazi Germany will be remembered and the swastika will be paired with it because they picked that as their symbol.

The Swastika comes from the Far East and is a symbol for good luck.  As others have pointed out in the late 19th and early 20th century when the traditions of the Far East became fashionable in the west, the swastika was used for the same purpose, a sign of good luck.  Which is why you'll see it on a lot of printed materials from the time.  It was even used by allied pilots as decoration on their air craft during World War One.

 

I have a funny story about the swastika.  A friend of mine, before I get too far, he is a devout Hindu from India.  Remember that, you'll need it later.  When he was attending the University of Toronto, he put up a swastika in his dorm room.  A couple of days later, he had a complaint filed against him for displaying a "racist symbol".  He even had to face a disciplinary hearing, with a potential out come of eviction from the dorm.  It ended well, as once he explained the significance of the swastika in his culture, the matter was dropped and the complainant apologized for her error.  As well, it was explained to the residents of the dorm as well, to avoid any further trouble.

 

However, the symbol the Nazis used is properly called a Hakenkreuz, and aside from shape, it has little to do with the swastika.  The Hakenkreuz was adopted from Norse symbolism.  At the same time (late 18th to early 19th century), the was a fascination with neo-paganism.  This movement was really popular in Germany, especially after the end of the First World War.  There were a number of neo-pagan groups operating in Germany, including the Thule Society which had a lot of future Nazis as member.  People like Julius Streicher (Chief Ideologue of the Nazi Party), and Heinrich Himmler.

As part of this neo-pagan movement, almost central to is, was the idea of runes.  If you look as at the SS, you'll see a lot of runes incorporated in to their uniforms, decorations and unit identifiers.  For example the twin SSs on their collars are Sig runes, or the rune for Victory. 

 

Initially the Hakenkreuz was a pagan symbol for the god Donner (Thor).  In 19th century Germany it became the symbol for Nationalism and Racial Struggle, and post 1918 it was adopted by several FreiKorps (forerunners of the SA and SS).

 

Hitler was very well aware of the popularity of neo-paganism, combined with his pop historical knowledge of German history, led him to incorporate these neo-pagan ideas into Nazi ideology.  This was furthered by Streicher and Himmler.  If you listen to his speechs (which I have, as part of my Political Science/History degree), you'll hear a lot of these neo-pagan ideas expressed. 

Edited November 25, 20178 yr by HackSlash

 

Think you will find no swastika in german video games.

 

I know. It's BS.

 

 

Depends really, I can see why a nation with such a burden/history would want to keep it away.

 

 

 

Such douchebags have ruined alot of previously benign symbols. Some do get rehabilitated eventually, or perhaps the "bad stuff" forgotten in history.

 

 

Do you see that being possible in our life times? Even to this day people use the swastika as a symbol of hate. The inhuman acts of Nazi Germany will be remembered and the swastika will be paired with it because they picked that as their symbol.

 

 

Well the aversion is already lessening, coupled with the increased knowledge about its origin and other uses.

 

Heck even the nazi's will one day be largly forgotten, or rather moved to the knowledge of historians.

Nazis will not be remembered.

History doesn't remember the bad guys.

 

in say, 30-40 years, No one will have even heard it.