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What is the Swastika, and why is it considered to be antisemitic?
While the swastika symbol has ancient roots in various cultures as a symbol of good fortune, including in Hindu and Buddhist communities, its meaning was fundamentally transformed when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party adopted it in the 1920s as a representation of their violent ideology. As a result, the swastika is almost universally considered to be an antisemitic and racist symbol because of its direct association with Nazi Germany and the Holocaust.
Under the Nazi regime, the swastika became the defining emblem of a government responsible for the systematic murder of six million Jews, along with millions of others from minority groups, during the Holocaust. It was displayed on flags, military uniforms, and propaganda, embodying antisemitism, racism, and genocide.
Today, the swastika continues to be used by neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups as a symbol of hatred and has often been used as a tactic of intimidation, particularly on college campuses.
While the swastika’s original meaning should be acknowledged, the overwhelming historical and modern association with antisemitism makes it a deeply offensive and threatening symbol to Jewish communities. Recognizing this context is essential in understanding why the swastika is widely condemned as a representation of hate.