Posted on 06/23/2015 10:35:27 AM PDT by Jyotishi
WASHINGTON: Following outcry from several groups, a prestigious American university has decided to rescind its suspension order against a student who displayed a Hindu swastika on his residence hall's bulletin board.
The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) welcomed the move to rescind the interim suspension order by the George Washington University (GWU).
HAF associate director of public policy, Harsh Voruganti, said that the decision reflects the facts of this case and the efforts by Hindu organisations to educate campus officials about the sacredness of the Indian swastika.
The small, bronze, swastika was displayed by the student on March 16 on a bulletin board at GWU's International House residence hall, and mistaken by another student for a Nazi swastika - a distinct symbol used by the German Nazi party and other hate groups.
The student intended to educate his friends and co-residents about the symbol's origins, which he learned about during a spring break trip to India.
Although the law enforcement authorities had found no violation, the University proceeded with disciplinary actions against him, with the possibility of expulsion.
A number of Hindu, interfaith, and Jewish groups wrote to University President Steven Knapp, educating him about the significance of the swastika for Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains, and urging him to avoid expelling the student.
"The swastika is one of the most sacred symbols of Hinduism, with a three thousand year history of peace before it was misappropriated by the Nazis," said Samir Kalra, HAF senior director and Human Rights Fellow.
"We wanted to ensure that any Hindu, Buddhist, or Jain student who sought to display the symbol as a part of her faith would not be punished for doing so," Kalra said.
“academics” are often the stupidest people you will ever meet.
The Confederate flag was once a symbol of pride for southerners and far outweighs the recent appropriation of racism foisted upon it by aggrieved race hustlers.
Curious how the Nazi version got its symbol, knowing how its leading darknesses were into whatever spiritual power they could grab for their own selfish purposes.
Don’t understand why the swastika is bad. Nazism is a left wing ideology, and with the shared hatred of jews with all of the lefties, I would think the symbol of the final solution would be a good thing.
I’ve heard of it being used to fill the bottom part of decorated windows, called a “fylfot” (or fill foot).
Because it would look exotic and not stereotypically Christian, it might have appealed to him in a way a cross would not.
In Hinduism, the swastika is a symbol of education.
It pre-dates Nazi Germany.
Aryan is a Sanskrit word meaning “noble”.
Hitler obviously had some fascination with India
which he managed to weave into his sick parallel universe.
You mean the "Multiculture" Gestapo didn't understand something about another culture?
And they claim to be "educated."
The original insignia was a yellow swastika in a red square on point in acknowledging the American Indian tribes of the region.
The swastika was changed to a thunderbird in the run-up to WWII.
The Nazis were demonic enough without these ridiculous fabrications.
That wasn’t the Confederate flag, that was the HINDU Confederate symbol.
Jefferson Vishnu designed it centuries before 1861...
First they came for the swastikas, but I didn’t object because I wasn’t a Nazi. Then...
In the early part of the 20th century, several American products were marked with a swastika to indicate superior quality.
Crane Valve company marked their best cast steel valves with it. Linde used it on high pressure gas cylinders. And so on.
I know.
As I recall, the word swastika derives from the Sanscrit “seu asti”, which means “goodness” or “be well” or “well-being”. Its associations were entirely benign till the Nazis ruined it.
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