Raelians honor Swastika Rehabilitation Day, seeking to restore symbol’s ancient, peaceful meaning
LAS VEGAS, June 20 – Swastika Rehabilitation Day will be held on June 23rd and according to a statement released today, Raelians will hold worldwide events to keep informing people about the ancient and peaceful meaning of the swastika.
Upendra Singh, Raelian Guide and international leader of the Swastika Rehabilitation Day, pointed out that despite the fact a majority of Westerners still associate the swastika with Hitler and Nazi crimes, the public is increasingly aware of the sacred meaning of this ancient symbol, thanks to the swastika rehabilitation campaigns that have taken place all over the world for the past decade.
“It’s a symbol cherished not only by Raelians, for whom it represents infinity in time, but also by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains,” he said. “Banning this religious symbol is like banning a religion. It’s an affront to both the members of that religion and a supposedly free society in general.”
Singh said that while Raelians deplore the Nazi crimes against humanity, they also believe Hitler unfairly besmirched a revered symbol that has existed for thousands of years.
“Before the Nazi era, the swastika had only positive connotations of good luck and well-being,” he explained. “Continuing to associate it with Nazis gives them credit for it, which is probably the last thing their victims would have wanted. Would you also ban the Christian cross under which tens of millions were murdered in the Americas, Africa and Europe? Even the Ku Klux Klan used it!”
Singh said the swastika has been a Jewish symbol as well for a very long time. “One can find it displayed in old synagogues like in Verona, Italy, and at many Israeli sites, including the Second Temple, one of the holiest places for Jews. Nobody has asked that those symbols be removed from Jewish holy places, so why is displaying swastikas more of an issue in the West?
"According to Raelians, education is the solution, not banning," concluded Singh. "That’s what the Swastika Rehabilitation Day is all about."
Upendra Singh, Raelian Guide and international leader of the Swastika Rehabilitation Day, pointed out that despite the fact a majority of Westerners still associate the swastika with Hitler and Nazi crimes, the public is increasingly aware of the sacred meaning of this ancient symbol, thanks to the swastika rehabilitation campaigns that have taken place all over the world for the past decade.
“It’s a symbol cherished not only by Raelians, for whom it represents infinity in time, but also by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains,” he said. “Banning this religious symbol is like banning a religion. It’s an affront to both the members of that religion and a supposedly free society in general.”
Singh said that while Raelians deplore the Nazi crimes against humanity, they also believe Hitler unfairly besmirched a revered symbol that has existed for thousands of years.
“Before the Nazi era, the swastika had only positive connotations of good luck and well-being,” he explained. “Continuing to associate it with Nazis gives them credit for it, which is probably the last thing their victims would have wanted. Would you also ban the Christian cross under which tens of millions were murdered in the Americas, Africa and Europe? Even the Ku Klux Klan used it!”
Singh said the swastika has been a Jewish symbol as well for a very long time. “One can find it displayed in old synagogues like in Verona, Italy, and at many Israeli sites, including the Second Temple, one of the holiest places for Jews. Nobody has asked that those symbols be removed from Jewish holy places, so why is displaying swastikas more of an issue in the West?
"According to Raelians, education is the solution, not banning," concluded Singh. "That’s what the Swastika Rehabilitation Day is all about."
 | Thursday 21 June 2018 |  |  |