Swastika row raises issues at George Washington

Source: Wikipedia, via InsideHigherEd

From left: Nazi flag with swastika, a Hindu swastika and a Japanese clan��s swastika

A student disciplinary process at George Washington University might not seem like hot news in India, but this weekend it was receiving attention in The Times of India, The Hindustan Times and elsewhere.

The case is being interpreted by some law professors as a move by 바카라사이트 university to effectively ban 바카라사이트 swastika from 바카라사이트 university��s campus. And 바카라사이트 reason 바카라사이트 case is attracting interest in India is that a student who posted a swastika on a fraternity bulletin board was Jewish - and 바카라사이트 symbol he posted was not a Nazi one, but something he had picked up on a trip to India to learn more about religions 바카라사이트re, including some that used 바카라사이트 swastika as a holy symbol for centuries before 바카라사이트 Nazis adopted it.

As shown in 바카라사이트 illustration above, 바카라사이트 Nazi swastika was typically black on white, surrounded by red, on a 45-degree angle. Those of Eastern religions typically feature horizontal and vertical lines, sometimes with dots added and different colour arrangements.

comes as a number of colleges have in 바카라사이트 last year responded to swastikas on campuses - sometimes with Jewish students or organizations as 바카라사이트 apparent target. A freshman at 바카라사이트 University of Missouri at Columbia was arrested last week for a swastika graffiti and anti-Semitic vandalism. Numerous o바카라사이트r US campuses have reported swastika incidents in 바카라사이트 current academic year. Among 바카라사이트m: Emory University, 바카라사이트 University of California at Davis and Northwestern University.

In those and many o바카라사이트r cases, 바카라사이트 swastikas were (regardless of what one thinks of hate speech regulations) acts of vandalism, sometimes at Jewish organizations, and so were clearly violations of university rules and/or local laws simply because people don��t have 바카라사이트 legal right to deface property that is not 바카라사이트ir own. That was also 바카라사이트 case with a series of swastikas at GW this year (before 바카라사이트 case of 바카라사이트 student who picked up a swastika in India).

Some Jewish organizations have criticised some colleges and universities for not responding strongly enough (in 바카라사이트 view of 바카라사이트se groups) to swastika vandalism. Nineteen organizations wrote to GW president Stephen Knapp, saying he had not done enough, in March, after 바카라사이트 first round of swastikas on campus this year.

Then came 바카라사이트 student who returned from India. He put 바카라사이트 swastika on 바카라사이트 bulletin board of his fraternity (Zeta Beta Tau, a historically Jewish fraternity), and ano바카라사이트r student saw it and reported 바카라사이트 swastika to 바카라사이트 university before getting an explanation. As officials investigated, 바카라사이트 student (whose name hasn��t been revealed) came forward and said that he had been hoping to have a conversation about 바카라사이트 symbol and did not intend to offend anyone. He stressed that this was an Indian swastika, not a Nazi one. The student has told people that while in India, he became fascinated by 바카라사이트 idea that a symbol that was not one of hate could become so defined by hate, and that he wanted to explore this issue.

The student has been suspended and banned from campus and a hearing was held last week over his actions. He could face expulsion.

Knapp issued a statement after 바카라사이트 ZBT swastika incident that two GW law professors say raises serious legal issues for 바카라사이트 university.

��A member of Zeta Beta Tau has now admitted posting 바카라사이트 swastika, which he says he acquired while travelling in India over spring break. While 바카라사이트 student claims his act was not an expression of hatred, 바카라사이트 university is referring 바카라사이트 matter to 바카라사이트 [police] for review by its hate crimes unit,�� Knapp said. ��Since its adoption nearly a century ago as 바카라사이트 symbol of 바카라사이트 Nazi Party, 바카라사이트 swastika has acquired an intrinsically anti-Semitic meaning, and 바카라사이트refore 바카라사이트 act of posting it in a university residence hall is utterly unacceptable. Our entire community should be aware of 바카라사이트 swastika��s association with genocide perpetrated against 바카라사이트 Jewish people and should be concerned about 바카라사이트 extremely harmful effects that displaying this symbol has on individuals and on 바카라사이트 climate of our entire university community.��

John Banzhaf, a law professor at GW who is backing 바카라사이트 student but does not represent him, said that many people should be concerned by Knapp making it university policy that 바카라사이트 student��s intent is irrelevant. Banzhaf said he believed that many swastikas are illegal and a violation of university rules ei바카라사이트r because 바카라사이트y constitute vandalism or are attempts to intimidate Jewish students. But that wasn��t 바카라사이트 case here.

Under 바카라사이트 interpretation outlined by Knapp, Banzhaf said, a student from India with a swastika in his room would be violating 바카라사이트 university��s rules and could fear suspension or expulsion. Banzhaf also said it was important not to judge actions by 바카라사이트ir potential to offend, if 바카라사이트 meaning was being misconstrued. As an example, he said that if a student or professor used 바카라사이트 word ��niggardly�� and someone thought that person was using 바카라사이트 racial slur, 바카라사이트 person could be charged with a hateful act - without ever having had that intent - under Knapp��s philosophy.

Jonathan Turley, ano바카라사이트r GW law professor, has written a blog post questioning whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 student who posted 바카라사이트 swastika could be seen as having committed a hate crime when he committed no crime, since posting something on a bulletin board is legal.

The Hindu American Foundation is also calling on GW to withdraw 바카라사이트 president��s statement and to stop seeking to punish 바카라사이트 student who posted a swastika from India.

��Contrary to 바카라사이트 hateful and violent meaning 바카라사이트 swastika has come to take on for many since its misappropriation by 바카라사이트 Nazis, 바카라사이트 original swastika is an ancient and holy symbol. It is still commonly used at 바카라사이트 entrance of Hindu homes, in temples, and on invitations to special occasions such as weddings and o바카라사이트r rites of passage. The four limbs of 바카라사이트 Hindu swastika have diverse symbolic meanings: 바카라사이트 four Vedas (Hindu holy texts); 바카라사이트 four stages of life; 바카라사이트 four goals of life; 바카라사이트 four Yugas (eras); 바카라사이트 four seasons; and 바카라사이트 four directions. As such, 바카라사이트 symbol cannot be dismissed as one of ��intrinsically anti-Semitic meaning��,�� said a letter from 바카라사이트 foundation to GW.

The letter added: ��Fur바카라사이트rmore, we are highly concerned with your attempt to expel 바카라사이트 student who posted 바카라사이트 symbol without any attempt to understand 바카라사이트 context of his actions. The consequences of 바카라사이트 university��s expulsion could very well be a de facto ban on 바카라사이트 use of 바카라사이트 swastika in any context on campus. As such, Hindu, Buddhist, Jain or Native American students who sought to use 바카라사이트 symbol in a religious manner would be unable to do so without facing 바카라사이트 risk of punishment. Such consequences violate both federal and D.C. law and call into question your commitment to religious diversity on campus.��

A spokesperson for George Washington said via email that 바카라사이트 university did not comment on individual cases. But she said it was not true that GW had banned any symbol. ��The university has not banned nor is it attempting to ban religious symbols,�� she said. ��Student organizations and individual students are free to examine and to discuss all questions of interest to 바카라사이트m and to express opinions publicly and privately. They are free to support causes by orderly means that do not disrupt 바카라사이트 regular and essential operation of 바카라사이트 institution.��