Clarington Council has unanimously approved a motion recommended by its Diversity Advisory Committee, to call on the federal government to ban the display of the Nazi swastika as a symbol of hate.
The Town of Whitby, which has seen a rise in hate symbol cases in since the start of the current war in the Middle East, has also moved to ban hate symbols (see below).
A Clarington statement read: “Whereas in recent years, the Nazi swastika, known as the hakenkreuze, and iconography has surfaced with alarming frequency in the public sphere, used by an increasing number of groups and individuals to promote hate and instill fear within Canadian society; and
“Whereas the swastika word originates from the Sanskrit word “svastika” and the symbol (卐 – oriented horizontally, with its arms pointing in four cardinal directions) has been used for thousands of years in various cultures, including Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, to represent good fortune, well-being and auspiciousness; and
“Whereas the Nazi appropriation of the swastika word and symbol (卍 – rotated 45 degrees, giving it a slanted appearance) drastically changed its perception in the Western world, associating it with hate, terror and atrocities during World War II; and
“Whereas, despite the growing presence of the swastika word and symbol in our country becoming synonymous with systematic violence and terror, the swastika continues to be used very extensively in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain prayer, worship, and other auspicious ceremonies, symbolizing positive attributes like prosperity and well-being; and
“Whereas 18 countries have already taken action to ban Nazi symbols of hate, it is imperative that Canada follow suit;
“Therefore, be it resolved that Council of the Municipality of Clarington calls on the Government of Canada to pass legislation banning the public display of Nazi symbols and iconography of hate, including the Nazi hakenkreuze, while permitting the use of the sacred swastika word and symbol by communities such as the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain,” the statement added.
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