01-07-2025
Virginia enacts law to ban Nazi symbols, protects sacred Swastika
Virginia has officially enacted House Bill 2783 as of July 1, making it a Class 6 felony to display Nazi symbols, such as Hitler's emblem, on private property or in public places with the intent to sets this legislation apart is a historic and culturally sensitive amendment: it clearly distinguishes the Nazi 'Hakenkreuz' (Hooked Cross): a symbol of hatred and violence, from the sacred Swastika, an ancient symbol of peace and prosperity revered by nearly two billion Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and other communities July 1, a new law in the state of Virginia distinguishes between Hitler's Hakenkreuz and the Sacred Swastika- a win for accuracy, religious freedom and equitable treatment for Dharmic communities that revere the sacred we ask other institutions including CoHNA (Coalition of Hindus of North America) (@CoHNAOfficial) July 1, 2025advertisementA CRUCIAL DISTINCTIONWhile the Nazi symbol is often mistakenly referred to as the 'Swastika,' Adolf Hitler himself called it the Hakenkreuz—a stylised hooked cross. The Swastika, by contrast, is an ancient symbol of peace, prosperity, and divinity that appears in Dharmic and Indigenous traditions.
Unlike the Hakenkreuz, which is a symbol of hatred and violence used by the Nazis, the Swastika is an ancient symbol of peace, prosperity, and divinity revered in Dharmic and Indigenous drafts of HB2783 dangerously blurred this distinction, referring to the Nazi emblem as 'commonly known as the Swastika.' This language, though unintentional, risked harming religious communities by reinforcing decades of ADVOCACY SPURS MAJOR CHANGEOver a single weekend, more than 1,000 concerned citizens contacted lawmakers. Community leaders, legal experts, and interfaith allies united to urge changes in how the bill described Nazi advocacy worked. Governor Glenn Youngkin even sent the bill back for revision, asking that lawmakers adopt the critical updates requested by the community. As a result, the new law now prioritizes the historically correct term 'Hakenkreuz'.- Avoids implying there is a 'good' vs. 'bad' Swastika.- Clarifies that the 'Nazi Swastika' is not the sacred Swastika used in religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, or Native American traditions.- Replaces 'commonly known as' with the more accurate 'sometimes referred to as'.This Virginia legislation follows similar progress in California and even in Canada, where the Jewish advocacy group B'nai Brith has adopted the term Hakenkreuz and acknowledged the sacred role of the Swastika in Dharmic traditions. Influential figures like design historian Steven Heller have also publicly corrected their language on this issue in recent years.- EndsMust Watch
