International Press Release by Justice For The World (JFW) • Human Rights Awareness Foundation

Yesterday, on the fifth of December of 2009, Hirsi Ali has sadly misrepresented the meaning of the Swastika in an opinion article called 'Swiss Ban on Minarets was a Vote for Tolerance and Inclusion', which is published at The Christian Science Monitor, an award-winning international news organization. By claiming that this is a political symbol and that these symbols "represent a collectivist political theory of supremacy by one group over all others," Ayaan Hirsi Ali implies that the Swastika is a Nazi-symbol, which it is not. It is a religious symbol dating far back, long before Hitler altered it into a Hakenkreuz, the hooked cross, which she is referring to. A reference to all Swastikas being political is factually incorrect and inappropriate.

We ask that all media that have decided to reference to this article and who are using the same fallacy to make a correction and remark that the meaning of the Swastika is one of a much wider range than is implied. A journalist could in fact and in the same manner decide to refer to Hitler as a human being, but he would not on account of that fact alone refer to all human beings using his name, as if all were named Hitler. There is a clear distinction between the Swastika and the Hakenkreuz and the two should not be confused nor should the Swastika be miscategorized due to propaganda.

Justice for the World (JFW) deems both freedom of religion and freedom of speech important and that neither should not be used to exclude the rights of others, and it is therefore most important to remain to be factual, including while one is side mentioning historic examples.

Reference: Great Confusion about the Swastika (International Press Release)