UNITED STATES, October 26, 2016 (BuzzFeed, by Mat Mcdermott): The swastika is a symbol as old as humanity itself, one which to this day, despite its appropriation and use by the Nazis, has a powerful positive message, with an amazing history. In Sanskrit, the word swastika is a combination of su (meaning good) and asti (meaning to exist). Popularly, this gets translated as all is well. The swastika is thus understood to be a symbol of auspiciousness and good fortune, and is regularly donned on Hindu homes, businesses, printed materials, cars, temples, and ashrams.
The swastika is one of humanity’s most enduring, ancient symbols. In fact, the oldest known use of the swastika dates back to the end of the last Ice Age. A figurine carved with a recognizable swastika dating to 10,000-13,000 BCE was found in Ukraine. How these ancient people interpreted the swastika is unknown. The Indus-Saraswati civilization used the swastika extensively, with archeological evidence dating back to at least 4000 BCE showing its usage.
The swastika had a major resurgence of usage in Europe and North America in the 19th century as a good luck symbol. After the horrors committed by the Nazis, there has been a justifiable revulsion to Nazi symbolism, including the Nazi presentation of the swastika. The European Union attempted to ban all use of the swastika, regardless of the renditions. Fortunately, Hindus have risen in defense of their sacred symbol. Speaking out against the proposed EU ban a representative of the Hindu Forum of Britain said, “The swastika has been around for 5,000 years as a symbol of peace,” noting that banning all use of the swastika would be akin to banning the Christian cross because the Ku Klux Klan used burning crosses to terrorize African Americans.
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