Faith groups try to save a reviled emblem -- the swastika

As hate crimes – including those against Jews – proliferate across the country and lawmakers mull legislation defining symbols of hate, some are struggling to ensure that the swastika – which Dharmic cultures hold dear – doesn’t get caught up in the fray.

This week, the California Senate passed AB 2822, which equalizes the penalties and enforceable locations for what the bill calls “three pervasive and extremely harmful symbols of hate – burning crosses, swastikas and nooses.” The bill is supported by the Anti-Defamation League, numerous interfaith groups and associations representing California’s sheriffs and school boards.

Others support the bill in spirit but say using the word “swastika” to describe the Nazi emblem is not only incorrect but potentially dangerous. They note that the symbol held sacred by an estimated 2 billion Hindus, Buddhists and Jains worldwide existed for at least 5,000 years before being misappropriated by Hitler’s Germany and, more recently, white supremacists.