Hindu Swastika or Nazi Swastika?
Adolf Hitler is notorious for using one symbol which is synonymous with the heinous crimes committed by the Nazis in 1930s and 1940s. The world today knows that symbol as the Swastika. The same symbol has been used by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains for thousands of years, but symbolises auspiciousness, wellbeing and peace.
Uncovering the Truth
A recent short film, featured on YouTube called The Silence of the Swastik discusses whether or not Hitler was actually using a Swastika, how the symbol became attached and associated with Hitler and why the symbol is still misjudged today when used by Hindus.
Hitler and Christianity
Hitler mentions ‘Hakenkreuz’ in his book Mein Kampf several times. When this word is put into Google Translate, it translates to Swastika. However, when the two words ‘Haken’ and ‘Kreuz’ are taken separately and translated, the words meab ‘hooked cross’. When Hitler was growing up, he was a regular attendee at monastery which displayed the ‘Hakenkreuz’ symbol in 8 different places. This is where Hitler was inspired to use the ‘Hakenkreuz’.
Antisemitism in Christianity?
Hitler was influenced by Christianity in many ways. He described the ‘Hakenkreuz’ as part of Christian tradition and noted that the Christian cross was a symbol of struggle against the Jews, describing his party as God’s work.
At this time, the German Christian movement’s symbol was a hooked cross and a cross together and Hitler was building a ‘new Christianity’ under this symbol.
Media and Misrepresentation
The media has perpetuated the misrepresentation of the Swastika. In 1922, before Hitler came to power (but was still popular), the New York Times wrote an article calling the followers of Hitler ‘Hakenkreuzler’. The word ‘Hakenkreuz’ was used multiple times in this article, but never defined.
In 1933, when Hitler came to power, another article was written by the New York Times which included both the words ‘hooked cross’ and ‘Swastika’. The article also stated that the Swastika made its way from India to Germany — a baseless claim.
Blaming Hindus
Finally, in 1939, another article was published, calling the ‘hooked cross’ a victim of the ‘savagery of the Swastika’ and falsely claiming the meaning behind the ‘hooked cross’ had been lost due to the Swastika.
Decades of Mistranslations
It isn’t just news outlets which have wrongly used the words ‘hooked cross’ and ‘Swastika’ interchangeably. Before Hitler came to power, his book was translated into English, but the word Swastika was never used or mentioned. After he came to power, the book was retranslated by James Murphy, a Christian priest, who translated the ‘Hakenkreuz’ as the Swastika every single time it was mentioned In the book. This has become the most popular translation of the book.
Astonishingly, Hitler has in fact never used the word Swastika to mean ‘hooked cross’.
Hollywood’s Role
Hollywood films have also portrayed this incorrectly. The Hollywood movie Proibido released in 1959, described the hooked cross as a swastika that was worn by American soldiers and stating that it was an American-Indian symbol that Hitler stole from the Americans. The use of the Swastika became common. Hitler never once used the word Swastika in any of his speeches, nor in his book. However, the Swastika has become associated with Hitler and the Nazis, proving how media is a power that can create false propaganda and narratives.