Attack on Hindu freedom of religion

*Trigger Warning* Hinduphobia, racism, Nazis

Screenshot Dharmics celebrating a festival with their ancient swastika symbol.

There’s a Hinduphobic campaign going on in California right now. The state legislature has a bill to ban the swastika, completely ignoring that the swastika is an ancient auspicious symbol of Indigenous Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains and that banning it is a direct attack on our freedom of religion.

The Nazis called their symbol hakenkreuz which means “hooked cross”. It’s all explained in this article I wrote that shows plenty of evidence of this historical fact. If the California legislature or anyone else wants to ban the Nazi symbol then they should be clear that they’re talking about the hakenkreuz NOT the swastika so that minority Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains are not vilified, criminalized, and attacked for simply existing.

Note that Dharmics (Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains) face attacks not just from the racist, ignorant, and patriarchal right, but also from the racist, ignorant, and patriarchal LEFT.

Also note that this is happening in California, a state that has made a million businesses out of culturally appropriating everything Hindu for almost 100 years.

Also note that there have been bills like this before in New Jersey, New York, and Maryland — all states where there are a lot of Hindus. A bill like this has also been proposed…