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Educating
the West About Hindu Symbol Swastika
Yatindra Bhatnagar
Since pre-war
Germany’s Dictator, Adolf Hitler started using the Hindu religious symbol
Swastika, it has become a symbol of hate, disgust and enmity, all the
characteristics it did not and does not denote. Misguided people can not make a
difference between the upright Swastika of Hindus and the left-tilted Swastika
of Hitler that has created so much hatred for a beautiful symbol of love,
compassion, harmony and all that is auspicious.
The blame, at least
a part, should be laid at the doors of us, Hindus, who have not adequately
educated the Americans, and the Jews, the other world of both the Easterners and
the Westerners, and all those who regards Swastika as evil.
The fact is that
several Oriental countries, including China and Japan, the South East Asians
such as Thailand, Cambodia and Laos, some ancient Arab countries, Scandinavia
and Indonesia do recognize Swastika as auspicious. But, alas, they also have not
done anything about it and have let the “other” world despise it. Because of
Hitler’s adoption of the symbol
and his mad policy of extermination of the Jews, this very talented and
courageous people hate Swastika. Don’t expect anything different from the
Islamic countries and Muslims. They are not going to enlighten anyone about the
real Swastika.
Why can’t the
nations that know the “real Swastika” and respect it not join together to
dispel the notion that it symbolizes evil, discrimination, hatred and is
divisive?
The lack of such as
effort and the misguided opposition to it has compelled the
software giant, Microsoft to removes Swastika Character from the Font
after protests by the Jewish organizations.
Microsoft
Corporation announced last week that its latest version of Office software
inadvertently contained a font featuring two Swastikas, and that the
company would offer tools to remove and replace the characters.
Microsoft's
'Bookshelf Symbol 7' font has included Swastika that was derived from a Japanese
font set.
According to Simon
Marks, Microsoft’s Office Product Manager, the “offending character was
discovered by one of our customers a couple weeks ago, and that there was
no malicious intent.
Washington-based
Microsoft said that it was in touch with several Jewish organizations about
this matter and a utility would be immediately available on its Web site that would
remove the characters from the system. Microsoft will release other tools
at a later date to remove only the “offending characters.”
Swastika has
undergone some changes in different regions and religious traditions, including
Buddhism. The most common is the traditional Hindu Swastika with straight
standing character, slightly angled individual arms and four dots inside the
four squarish designs. It symbolizes good, and the light and energy emanating
from the Sun. It can’t be anything but good for the community and is used in
religious ceremonies, prayers, and meditation, rituals and offerings. The word
Swasti also denotes blessings for everyone, and not extermination of anyone.
In Buddhism, the
symbol is used to depict the feet, or footprints of the Buddha, after the new
religion was exported to the East from India as an off shoot of Hinduism. The
Swastika symbol, was also used widely in the ancient world including the tribes
of Native Indians and the Latin American areas where Maya culture, akin to Hindu
culture and religion prevailed.
Hitler adopted
Swastika as the symbol of the Nazi Party but with a left-tilted form. It is
clearly different from the Hindu Swastika that has been used for thousands of
years. Just because of Hitler’s misuse and making it the symbol of his Nazi
Party, Swastika can not become a dirty, disgusting and derogatory symbol. It is
extremely unfair to put a stigma to Hindu religious symbol that is widely
respected and used at religious ceremonies.
The well known
Jewish human rights organization, Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center
should reconsider its opposition to Hitler’s deranged Swastika and educate the
people about the “real Swastika,” that stands for all that is good and
contrary to all that Hitler preached and did.
This Jewish organization rendered excellent service in the cause of
justice for the Jewish people and defense for their human rights. SWC should do
the same for Hindus and the Hindu symbol Swastika, and not accept Hitler as
either the creator, interpreter, or the ‘owner’ of this symbol.
