Why This Matters to Us, as Hindus

Since birth, many of us have known the Swastika as a sign of auspicious beginnings. We place it at our home thresholds, on new account ledgers, on wedding mandaps, on festival rangolis, before pujas, on kalash pots. It carries bhakti and blessings, not hatred.

The Sanskrit root swastika means "that which gives well-being" (su + asti). It is a symbol of prosperity, harmony, and peace—a universal sign woven through thousands of years of Indian temples, ancient coins, Vedic art, and classical iconography.

In moments of transition—birth, marriage, opening a new home, launching a new business—we turn to the Swastika to invoke auspiciousness. To remove, misname, or criminalize it is to strike at our dignity, our faith, and our heritage.

Some Hindus in Canada have already faced suspicion or complaints simply for displaying Swastikas in homes, on vehicles, in temples, murals, or during puja. Misinterpretation, fear, or bias have led to inquiries or pressure, causing distress to families practicing their faith.

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The Legal Risk & Misnaming in Bill C-9 / e-6625

Bill C-9 (Combatting Hate Act), tabled September 19, 2025, proposes a new crime for displaying "the Nazi Hakenkreuz, also known as the Nazi swastika." That phrasing conflates two distinct symbols—the sacred Swastika and the hateful Hakenkreuz.

Worse, Bill C-9 prohibits symbols that "so nearly resemble" a banned symbol that they might be confused with it. That creates a dangerous legal gray zone for Hindu ritual use, potentially criminalizing religious practices that have existed for millennia.

The circulating federal e-petition e-6625 uses the language "ban the swastika," without distinction, risking the erasure of our sacred identity and religious freedom.

More than 70 faith and interfaith organizations across Canada have already called on Parliament to correct this misuse of "swastika" in legislation to avoid harming religious communities and to preserve the distinction between sacred and hate symbols.

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What We Demand (for Ourselves and Our Children)

By signing, we call upon the Government of Canada, Parliament, and all MPs to:

1. Acknowledge the Sacred Hindu Swastika as Separate and Protected

Recognize that the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain Swastika is a sacred religious symbol, distinct from Nazi iconography. Ensure that religious use is explicitly exempt from hate-symbol prohibitions.

2. Remove All Usage of "Swastika" to Describe the Nazi Symbol

In Bill C-9, Petition e-6625, government materials, police guides, and public communications, stop using "swastika" to refer to Nazi imagery. Instead, use the correct term "Nazi Hakenkreuz (hooked cross)".

3. Clarify Protection for Good-Faith Religious Use

Amend the law and training materials to state clearly that the Swastika (Sanskrit svastika) is a religious symbol, and that good-faith religious, cultural, artistic, and educational uses are protected.

4. Provide Education and Awareness Training

Train police, Crown prosecutors, CBSA, and public institutions to understand that Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist Canadians displaying the Swastika are engaging in peaceful religious expression—not promoting hate.

5. Engage Faith Communities in Policy Development

Include Hindu, Jain, Buddhist, and interfaith partners in drafting amendments and reviewing hate-symbol policy, so that Canada's fight against hate strengthens religious freedom, rather than undermines it.

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Recent Advocacy and Coalition Support

This petition aligns with ongoing national campaigns, including:

· The Reclaim Swastika Campaign (launched September 2025) by Canadians for Hindu Heritage Education, calling on Canadian police boards and government bodies to remove "Swastika" from hate-symbol classifications and replace it with "Hakenkreuz."

· A coalition letter signed by over 70 faith-based organizations (Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and interfaith), urging Parliament to correct the use of "Swastika" in anti-hate bills and distinguish the ancient sacred symbol from the Nazi emblem.

· Joint advocacy by Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain organizations with B'nai Brith Canada in March 2025, clarifying that the Swastika is not the Nazi symbol and calling for bans on Nazi iconography while preserving respect for sacred Swastika imagery.

These efforts demonstrate broad interfaith support for accurate terminology and the protection of religious freedom.

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A Plea from the Heart In many Hindu homes, children learn early: you draw the Swastika before Diwali, before Akshaya Tritiya, before a child's naming ceremony. It is a sign that goodness will enter this space. To see it misnamed as a symbol of hate cuts deep—like seeing your own holy name misrepresented as a profanity. We do not oppose banning hateful symbols. We stand with all who fight antisemitism and seek to fight hate fomented along religious and ethnic lines. But NO cause can trample our sacred symbols. We ask: ban the hate. Identify and name the hate symbol properly. Do not ban the Swastika. Let Canada be a country that champions religious respect, clarity, and justice. Let our children know their faith is honored, not feared. ---

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