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Sunday, 19 Mar 2006
Two weeks ago, while riding in a car with a friend, I saw something that made my mouth drop in awe. I saw this guy on a motorcycle who was wearing a black Jacket that had a big Ginat Swastika on the back of it. By the time I reached for my camera phone, the dude was gone in Cairo’s traffic. I didn’t want to mention it because 1) I had no evidence and 2) It could be just one guy, and I don’t want to be crying wolf over egyptians wearing swastikas when it’s only one ignorant jew-hating guy. Egyptians may hate jews, but they are not Nazis, and I said to myself it’s probably just this one guy.
And then a week later I saw another one in downtown Cairo.
And now Jimmy has a picture of another dude wearing a Swastika and had this conversation with him.
As expected, the guy didn’t even know what it meant, or understood that Hitler would’ve slaughterd arabs as equally as he did jews. He just knew it was Hitler’s sign, and that he hated the jews, so I guess he wore it in solidarity or something. What did the jews ever do to him? Don’t ask. He just hates them. They do, after all, control the world and the reason for all of his problems. After all, this is what his parents, his teachers and the local imam tell him.
sigh…
Egypt has a long way to go man. A long way to go.
March 19th, 2006 at 7:39 pm
Everyone is raised with certain ‘truths’. The strong few can move beyond what they were raised with and see the world apart from these filters.
Have I? Not entirely. I’m sure there are still tons of things I merely accept because that’s what I was instilled with as being ‘true’.
Americans used to accept slavery because they were told blacks weren’t entirely human, or were incapable of being ‘civilized’ or were not advanced enough or even cursed by G-d. And this was simply accepted as true until enough people began to question it and worked to change it.
So if you are raised your entire life with the ‘truth’ that Jews are evil, Jews rule the world, Jews are out to ruin your life… and not only you but everyone you know was raised with this and believes it… what prompts you to ever question it?
March 19th, 2006 at 8:23 pm
There are almost no Jews left and we are still the #1 global target of racism. Is that me acting the victim, or is it the reality?
March 19th, 2006 at 9:56 pm
Hi Steven.
The use of the swastika is controversial because of the historical symbolism.
But giggle with me for a moment.
In a predominantly muslim country this bright person is proudly displaying an ancient religious symbol from a polythestic religion on his chest.
The history of the swastika is interesting, if one could overcome the evil use of it in history.
“The word “swastika” comes from the Sanskrit svastika - “su” meaning “good,” “asti” meaning “to be,” and “ka” as a suffix.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika
http://history1900s.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.holocaust-trc.org%2Fwmp14.htm
March 19th, 2006 at 10:44 pm
Years ago it was not unusual to see some hardcore outlaw bikers wearing them in US & Canada. Not to excuse it, but it was more of an anti-social statement than anti-Semitic in most cases.
March 19th, 2006 at 11:05 pm
I once knew a guy who was strongly anti-racist who had a swaztica tatoo, the theory being that he wanted to reclaim the symbol from the neo-nazies, the swastica being an ancient sun symbol. Don’t think this is the reson behind the lates egytian “fashion-statement” though. What is it with these guys! Don’t they realise that neo-nazies hate them as much as they hate jews? Ok, I know, they are stooooopid!!!
March 19th, 2006 at 11:32 pm
The swastika is an ancient symbol. It freaked me out a little when I stopped at a Hindu temple in Singapore and noticed where the roof met the walls was a line of swastikas.
Take a minute to read the Wikipedia article on the Swastika. Very interesting.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika
March 20th, 2006 at 4:17 am
the hindu use predates nazism and if you look closely it is turned the other way.
Other uses of it are anti semitic
March 20th, 2006 at 5:22 am
The Roman’s also used it often around 100-300AD. Some types had dragon heads or arrow points on each end. Common in the decoration of fibula pins, pins used to bind clothing.
March 20th, 2006 at 5:31 am
it’s actually an inverted symbol with connections to believers in the occult.
the think with outlaw bikers, and early punks using it was more about dropping out of society, and challenging the status quo then a fashion symbole, the way you described the kid in your post.
it reminds me a bit of being at a hip hop show with a syrian guy who got super excited when he saw a black america wearing a tshirt with arabic writing on it. he ran up to him, and told him and asked him what it meant…and of course, the guy didn’t have a clue, he just bought it at the mall and thought it looked cool. it turned out to just be a meaningless saying.
as to hitler targeting arabs…that’s a touchy subject, and iraq saw jewish victims during the farhud, iran was renamed to have aryan signifigance, and there were actually muslim s.s. troops. there were german concentration camps in north africa, and the grand mufti was said to have been a close friend of hitler’s. in theory, it’s hard to imagine that hitler had much use for arab, or even muslims, beyond forming a union to dispose of jews…. but it sure puts terrible spin on hamas youth with swastikas, or the often heard insults evoking nazism. i’m sure you’re aware of much, or all of this, but a great deal of holocaust history is taught from a pretty eurocentric angle.
March 20th, 2006 at 8:06 am
Danish Person
proudly displaying an ancient religious symbol from a polythestic religion on his chest.
Ancient, in use much longer than the Nazis had it. Hinduism, Janism, and Buddhism. Old, as in very.
But the perception is almost always Nazis. It’s not pleasant, but we had 20 Nazis march through Orlando not too long ago.
A couple hundred counter-protesters showed. They made some arrests, but probably turned them loose after it was over.
It’s an ugly part of free speech, unless you’re ancient Hindu or Buddhist.
March 20th, 2006 at 11:42 am
The Nazi and Hinduism/Buddhist swastikas are a bit different.
The arms point differently.
March 20th, 2006 at 11:45 am
`Hitler would’ve slaughterd arabs as equally as he did jews`
Actually no he would not have.
http://www.tellthechildrenthetruth.com/gallery/index.htm
March 20th, 2006 at 12:46 pm
The fact that the swastica (reversed) predated Nazism is neither here nor there. Those in Egypt who like it, do so precisely because for them it *is* a Nazi symbol. If we want to just reflect on tangents, let’s consider how odd that the man who lead Germany into “Aryan supermacy”, extolling the virtues and beauty of the blonde aryan race and encouraging Germany to be a magnificient empire was himself a short, rather ugly, black-haired man who wasn’t even German.
As if history was winking at the Germans, giving them every reason to notice how laughable it all is!
Today, few people are racists. Most people couldn’t give a damn what race anyone is. The exceptions are:
A. Ultra-nationalist Europeans (comparatively few of these actually exist).
B. Ultra politically-correct (or far left) Europeans and Americans.
C. To an extent: ultra-nationalist Muslims.
I say “To an extent”, not because they aren’t racist but because their putrid hatred isn’t based essentially on a philosophy of race.
As for the far-left, they’re ‘reverse racists’. They favour certain races in every dispute and whatever the circumstances. Nevertheless, they’re racists, seeing everything through the eyes of race.
As for Hitler, Nazism and Arabs.. We know that Hitler made alliances with Arab leaders to suit his own ends. This isn’t even in doubt. As someone mentioned above, it’s also pretty hard to imagine that he felt anything but hatred and derision for Arabs, simply due to their race. By his fanatic racial philosophy, they are scum. Given his murderous inclination and the love he had for killing off races, it doesn’t take a great leap of faith to believe that eventually he would’ve disposed of the Arabs once he had nothing further to gain from them.
Anon.
Anon.
March 20th, 2006 at 1:10 pm
The Aryan migration was into Iran, North Africa, North India so the Nazis had a special love for the Arabs (same stock minus blond n blue eyes).
Nazis loved Arabs - even after WW2 N.Africa was a refuge for the runaway nazis.
March 20th, 2006 at 1:14 pm
Well, irrespectable of Hitlers dealings with arabs, the neo-nazis of today are unquestionably anti-arab and anti-muslim in general. It’s a few years ago now, but a neo-nazi group once blew up a bomb outside the amadiyah mosque in Oslo (late eighties, I think) and four years ago there was the racist murder of a young boy by neo-nazi youth. In Scandinavia, the groups are relatively small, but in eastern Germany a nazi sympathising party did well in alocal election a couple of years back.
March 20th, 2006 at 1:21 pm
Couple of days back in France too:
The Turks, waving Turkish flags and holding up posters saying “There was no Armenian genocide,” reacted after youths denounced them as “fascists” and yelled “go home!”, police said.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L18624457.htm
March 20th, 2006 at 1:23 pm
Here is a good history of the Swastika, or broken cross. http://www.locksley.com/6696/swastick.htm
The difference between the Nazi one and non-Nazi one is the direction in which it is a Sun symbol.
March 20th, 2006 at 3:01 pm
I wonder how good muslims would react to the idea that they were wearing a hindu symbol? (I know, wrong direction…)
March 20th, 2006 at 8:05 pm
I must laugh on European’s, Iraninans as well as on Nazi’s…. who call then Aryan’s. England tried to change the history… to control indian subcontinent,thus indians dont see them as outsider’s invading country…. so they used word Aryan’s in which Max plank played a Special role…. converting documents from Sanskrit to German and English…, the theory was so designed that even European started thinking they are aryan’s… but please dont neglect facts…
1) old name of India was Aryavrat … (land of Aryan’s.. in sanskrit.)
….. so called Dravidian’s are not a Race… but is used to point peoples or habitants in south.
2)It was just a co-incidence that swastik which is a holy symbol for hindu’s… was opted by Hitler… Hitler has seen this symbol nearly every day in his childhood on a austrian church… perhaps it was so eyecatching that he used this symbol for him…please don’t see it as a offense as for hindus its a a holy symbol from 1000’s of year’s …. but the way muslim r doing… that is real offensive
3) new DNA research shows Aryans never relocated… instead evolved and lived was always in lower Himalyas in Ganga-Saraswati Basin
4) The topic is hot due to reevolving nazism… due to Islam. Please remember … come toughther… Hindus who have faced largest holocaust in world due to muslims… please take them toughther…. this is a fight between Islam Vs. Other Religion’s
Remember Where People see Hinduism as a religion with many gods. remember they see it as one god, but many increnation’s… perhaps we need something ike this… so Abrahmic religions can also co-exist like how asian religions are existing toughther … see budhism, jainism, hinduism and sikhism…. lets learn from each other… intead of claiming who is good or who is bad, and dont support conversions or religions as it makes more tensions…
March 20th, 2006 at 10:51 pm
No surprise. Educate yourselves about the aliance between the Third Reich and Arab Nationalism, especially the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amin_al-Husayni). Ever heard of the Muslim Waffen SS?
March 21st, 2006 at 9:12 am
I believe that the Egyptians displaying of Swastikas on their shirts don’t do it for “fashion statement”, but simply in an ignorant form of protest and solidarity with their Palestinian brothers against the illegal Jewish occupation of the state of Israel.
March 21st, 2006 at 7:58 pm
‘illegal jewish occupation’ ¬¬
these guys should pay attention to this:
http://esportes.terra.com.br/futebol/copa2006/interna/0,,OI927983-EI5485,00.html
in portuguese, so let me translate the title:
“Neonazis plan to fight against muslims in world cup” (…) “english, spanish, italian, german, dutch hooligans promise a slaughter” (…) “we cannot see turks, argelians, tunisian’s face, say them (…)”
March 23rd, 2006 at 2:07 am
but simply in an ignorant form of protest and solidarity with their Palestinian brothers against the illegal Jewish occupation of the state of Israel.
Which came about as a result of the illegal expulsion by Egypt of peace-keepers in the Sinai, amassing troops on the border, and the unprovoked attacks by Jordain and Syria.
But to some people, facts just get in the way of their ’sacred’ opinions.
April 1st, 2006 at 9:34 pm
It is hard to believe that someone could say “illegal Jewish occupation of Israel”. That is Jewish land. You cannot “illegally” occupy your own land. Now, any Arabs there are either guests of Israel (which means Jewish homeland) or an illegal occupier. That is simple historical fact.
And the swastika is a centuries old Native American symbol, too.
April 6th, 2006 at 7:35 am
“You cannot “illegally” occupy your own land” : said by who… Moses in the Bible, I don’t think that his words posses a legal value. Certainly what’s true is that the UN resolutions 248 and 338 on Israeli boundries prove that Israel has violently enlarged these boundries occupying a land which legally is not theirs. And don’t come and give your bull shit on “Arab guests” in Israel , there is no such thing until the Jewish army continues to bomb and violent Palestinian profigee camps. Or maybe you don’t know about the daily humiliation Palestinian people have to deal with passing several military check-points just to go to work… maybe you don’t know because a kamikaze attack is a richer dish for the Media rather than the daily miserable life of thousands of Palestinians. It is not a secret the info about the extremely strong relationship between Israel and the “Great American Super Power”, but what many people don’t know is that all the main U.S. Media sources are contolled by an extremely powerful Jewish lobby. If you don’t believe me go check out the National Vanguard Books’ article on http://www.natall.com/who-rules-america/. My last point is that everybody knows the historical tragedy that the holocaust has been, and I suppose that the Jeweish people know it better because they have suffered in first person the atrocities of a persecution . That is why in the present I can’t support that the Israeli state allows itsellf to commit such crimes against Humanity ( referring to what they do to Palestinians) and as soon as you attack them of their faults they immidiatly change from murders to victims saying that They have been always persecuted by society and hide behind the curtain of grieve. Their past does not exempt Them from what they are doing today…
April 12th, 2006 at 5:01 pm
People keep saying that the Nazis flipped the Swastika or that the difference is the direction it faces. From all the photos I’ve seen, both directions were used and still are used in Buddhism and Hinduism. Even the Nazis used both directions.
January 14th, 2009 at 9:10 pm
Actually the world would be better without a religion. Spirituality and love for each other is the only religion needed. Past is past. It was not pleasent but it is OVER. Lets move on and unite to banish religion. what a beautiful place the world would be.