Canada committee votes to strip sacred swastika from hate-symbol language in anti-hate bill

Canada committee votes to strip sacred swastika from hate-symbol language in anti-hate bill

A US House of Commons committee has unanimously supported an amendment to Bill C-9 that deletes references to the “swastika” when describing Nazi hate symbols and instead uses the historically accurate term Hakenkreuz, the Nazi name for its emblem. The change comes amid strong appeals from Hindu, Jain and Buddhist community groups, backed by major Jewish organisations.

The swastika has been a sacred symbol for millennia in Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism, representing peace, well-being and good fortune. Community leaders argued before the justice committee that associating the word swastika with the Nazi Hakenkreuz in the bill risked mischaracterising their faith traditions and could inadvertently target practitioners rather than hate actors.

More than 100 organisations, including Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Jewish groups, lobbied for the clarification. Testimony highlighted that the Nazis themselves did not use the word “swastika” but rather the German term Hakenkreuz (“hooked cross”), and that the mislabel contributed to cultural misunderstanding.

Bill C-9 is a government-led effort to expand Canada’s hate-crime laws by making the intentional display of symbols associated with hate a criminal offence. In its original form, the bill named both the “Nazi swastika” and the SS double-sig rune among the prohibited symbols. Critics said the language risked conflating an ancient religious icon with the Nazi symbol.

The committee’s amendment removes any mention of the swastika and instead refers to the Nazi Hakenkreuz, clarifying that only symbols historically and explicitly tied to Nazism are covered by the prohibition. This change is intended to preserve the bill’s intent to combat hate while respecting religious and cultural expression.

The move drew praise from affected communities. The Canadian National Council of Hindus called the removal of any reference to the swastika an “important precedent,” and Jewish advocacy organisations supported the clarification as a way to promote cultural awareness alongside combating hate.

Supporters argue the change will reduce confusion and avoid unintended criminalisation of legitimate religious use of an ancient symbol. However, the broader bill continues to generate debate in Parliament and civil liberties discussions, particularly around its scope and how hate is legally defined.

Bill C-9 must still progress through further legislative stages in the House of Commons and Senate before becoming law. The committee’s decision represents a significant early victory for advocates of cultural sensitivity and for communities concerned about preserving the distinct meanings of their sacred symbols.