Swastika

:For the town in Ontario, see Swastika, Ontario.

Taboo in Western countries

Because of its use by Hitler and the Nazis and, in modern times, by neo-Nazis and other hate groups, for many people in the West, the swastika is associated primarily with Nazism, fascism, and white supremacy in general. Hence, outside historical contexts, it has become taboo in Western countries. For example, the German postwar criminal code makes the public showing of the Hakenkreuz (the swastika) and other Nazi symbols illegal and punishable, except for scholarly reasons.

Related Topics:
Nazis - Neo-Nazis - Nazism - Fascism - White supremacy - Taboo - Criminal code

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However, since it is a holy symbol for Hindus, Jains and Buddhists, it is not clear whether the German postwar code actually bans the construction of Hindu and Jain temples in Germany (Jain temples always have the swastika on their entrance and Jain ritual typically involves creating seven swastikas from grains of rice around the altar during prayer).

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In Finland the swastika was never considered disgraced and use of it has continued (http://www.ilmavoimat.fi/index.php?id=101,http://www.ilmavoimat.fi/index.php?id=87, http://www.mil.fi./ruotuvaki/index.dsp?action=read_page&pid=36&aid=537). In 1944 the Air Force changed its national emblem to a roundel but continued to use the swastika elsewhere. In 1963 the chain of the Grand Cross of the Order of White Rose was changed. More recently, in 2005 an official swastika emblem was adopted for use by the Air Force.

Related Topics:
Finland - 1944 - 1963 - Order of White Rose

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The powerful symbolism acquired by the swastika has often been used in graphic design and propaganda as a means of drawing Nazi comparisons; examples include the cover of Stuart Eizenstat's 2003 book Imperfect Justice,{{ref|berkeley-eizenstat}} publicity materials for Costa-Gavras's 2002 film Amen,{{ref|bbc-filmposter}} and a billboard that was erected opposite the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, Cuba, in 2004, which juxtaposed images of the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse pictures with a swastika.

Related Topics:
Stuart Eizenstat - Imperfect Justice - Costa-Gavras - Havana - Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse

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Founded in the 1970s, the Raëlian Movement, a religious sect believing in the possibility of immortality by scientific progress, used a symbol that was the source of considerable controversy: an interlaced Star of David and swastika. In 1991, the symbol was changed to remove the swastika and deflect public criticism. The Society for Creative Anachronism, which aims to study and recreate Medieval and Renaissance history, imposes restrictions on its members' use of the swastika on their arms,{{ref|soc-cre-ana}} although some arms dating to the early days of the group have the symbol.

Related Topics:
1970s - Raëlian Movement - Star of David - 1991 - Society for Creative Anachronism - Medieval - Renaissance

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In recent years, controversy has erupted when consumer goods bearing the symbol have been exported (often unintentionally) to North America. In 2002, Christmas crackers containing plastic toy pandas sporting swastikas were pulled from shelves after complaints from consumers in Canada, although the China-based manufacturer claimed the symbol was presented in a traditional sense and not as a reference to the Nazis.{{ref|cbc-toypandas}} In 1995, the City of Glendale, California scrambled to cover up over 900 cast iron lampposts decorated with swastikas throughout the downtown portion of the city; the lampposts had been manufactured by an American company in the early 1920s, and had nothing to do with Nazism.{{ref|glendale-pandas}} In 2004, Microsoft released a "critical update"{{ref|microsoftknowledgebase-833407}} to remove two swastikas and a Star of David from the font Bookshelf Symbol 7. The font had been bundled with Microsoft Office 2003.

Related Topics:
2002 - Christmas cracker - Panda - Canada - 1995 - Glendale, California - Cast iron - American - 1920s - 2004 - Microsoft - Star of David - Font - Bookshelf Symbol 7 - Microsoft Office 2003

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Punk rockers like Siouxsie Sioux, Sid Vicious and John Lydon used, and were photographed using, the Nazi version of the swastika for its shock value, notwithstanding that Malcolm McLaren, the Sex Pistols' manager, was half-Jewish. But the punk rock enthusiasm for swastikas ended abruptly in 1981 with the release of the Dead Kennedys song Nazi Punks Fuck Off! After the song was released, not only did swastikas become verboten in punk rock culture, many punks had their swastika tattoos either removed or turned into less racist images (e.g., a window).

Related Topics:
Punk rock - Siouxsie Sioux - Sid Vicious - John Lydon - Malcolm McLaren - Sex Pistols - Dead Kennedys - Nazi Punks Fuck Off!

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The previously successful career of the British band Kula Shaker virtually collapsed in the 1990s after the band's frontman, Crispian Mills, son of actress Hayley Mills, expressed his desire to use Swastikas as part of the imagery of their live show; because of this, and additional remarks he made, he was widely accused of holding Nazi sympathies. However, the band was musically influenced by Indian styles, and Mills asserted that his attraction to the swastika was part of an attempt to reclaim the Indian usage of the symbol in the West.

Related Topics:
Kula Shaker - 1990s - Crispian Mills - Hayley Mills

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In January 2005 there was much criticism when Prince Harry of Wales, third in line of succession to the British throne, was photographed wearing what appeared to be intended as an Deutsches Afrikakorps uniform, plus a Nazi swastika armband, to a costume party.{{ref|bbc-harry}}

Related Topics:
2005 - Prince Harry of Wales - British throne - Deutsches Afrikakorps - Costume party

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