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The Nazi hakenkreuz is not a swastika

17 min readMay 10, 2022

I can’t believe I still have to say this is 2022

Trigger Warning Holocaust, anti-semitism, racism, Hinduphobia, genocide, white supremacy, mention of rape culture, slavery, and pedophilia

Image description: Picture of a red sweatshirt on a white background. The hooded sweatshirt is scarlet red, with a white circle centered on the front and a black Nazi hakenkreuz in the center of the white circle. — **Screenshot** Nazi hakenkreuz merchandize sold on a neo-Nazi website.

The image you see above is the symbol of the Nazis in WWII. It is infamous for what it stood for — the genocide of anyone who didn’t fit into the Nazis’ idea of the “master race”, particularly Jews, Romani, Queer and Trans peoples, anyone not white, and disabled people including people with mental disabilities even if they were white. This symbol is called by Nazis a hakenkreuz. They always called it a hakenkreuz. That means “hooked cross”. You can go to any neo-Nazi website today and their merchandize will be labelled hakenkreuz. Like this Nazi merchandize right here:

On left, picture of a red hooded sweatshirt on a white background. The sweatshirt is scarlet red with a white circle centered on the front and a black Nazi hakenkreuz in the center of the white circle. On the right is titled in capital letters: “HAKENKREUZ III” in black font. Below that is: “35.00 Euros” in light blue font. Below that shows the choice for size and below that the red color of the sweatshirt in a small black box. And below that is the option to select the quantity of the order. — **Screenshot** A website selling Nazi merchandise in Euros.

Or this Nazi merchandize:

A row of three picture. The first on the left shows a black t-shirt with a hakenkreuz symbol in white on a black background with white stripes above and below the symbol. The middle picture shows another black t-shirt with a shield printed in white on the front showing a third reich eagle standing upon a hakenkreuz symbol. The picture on the right is a red t-shirt with a classic white circle and black hakenkreuz symbol in the center. All are labeled “HAKENKREUZ’ below them respectively. — **Screenshot** Neo-Nazi website selling Hakenkreuz merchandize in Euros.

Or this Nazi merchandize:

A row of three picture. The first on the left shows a coffee much with a flame design. in the middle of the flame is a black hakenkreuz symbol. Below is a black third reich eagle. The middle picture shows a grey baseball cap with a red hakenkreuz symbol on the front. The picture on the right is a red hooded shirt with a classic white circle and black hakenkreuz symbol in the center. All are labeled “HAKENKREUZ’ below them respectively and are priced at 10 Euros, 12 Euroes, and 35 Euros. — **Screenshot** Neo-Nazi website selling hakenkreuz merchandize in Euros.

Or this Nazi merchandize:

White background with a blue title at top left: “Black Blood Nazi flag”. Top right it reads: “$15.00”. Below on the left is text in black font that reads: “This is a black and white version of the Blutfahne, or Blood Flag. The Blood Flag is the Nazi German hakenkreuz flag that was used in the Beer Hall Putsch in Munich, Germany on 9 November 1923, during which it became soaked in the blood of one of the SA members who died. It subsequently became one of the most revered objects […]” — Screenshot Neo-Nazi website selling Nazi paraphernalia in US dollars. On the right under the $15:00 price, is a picture of the flag which has a black background, a white circle, and a black hooked cross in the center of the white circle. I underlined in red the words “Nazi German hakenkreuz flag”.

It’s not difficult to find this information. Anyone with access to the internet can find it in less than 15 seconds. It’s easy to know that the Nazis never called their symbol swastika. They called it hakenkreuz. They still call it hakenkreuz to this day.

So why does the entire progressive community in the west continue to call the hakenkreuz a “swastika” which smears an ancient symbol of Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains (also known collectively as Dharmics) despite the fact that those Dharmics had nothing to do with the Nazi holocaust or white supremacy?

The Nazi hakenkreuz is not a swastika

Trigger Warning Holocaust, anti-semitism, racism, Hinduphobia, genocide, white supremacy, mention of rape culture, slavery, and pedophilia

Written by Zarna Joshi

No responses yet

The Nazi hakenkreuz is not a swastika

*Trigger Warning* Holocaust, anti-semitism, racism, Hinduphobia, genocide, white supremacy, mention of rape culture, slavery, and pedophilia

Written by Zarna Joshi

No responses yet

Trigger Warning Holocaust, anti-semitism, racism, Hinduphobia, genocide, white supremacy, mention of rape culture, slavery, and pedophilia