CAEF Letter to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights as part of the overall submission from the Canadian Antisemitism Education Foundation regarding Bill C-9

December 1, 2025 

M. Jean-Francois LaFleur 

Clerk, House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights 

Sixth Floor, 131 Queen Street 

House of Commons 

Ottawa ON K1A 0A6  

Delivered by email:  Just@parl.gc.ca 

Dear Mr. LaFleur;

The Canadian Antisemitism Education Foundation (“CAEF”) recognizes that the “swastika” was originally an ancient Hindu symbol that was appropriated by the National Socialist German Workers’ (“Nazi”) Party in the era dominated by Adolf Hitler. The symbol and the word have come to be associated with the worst genocide in human history:  the Holocaust. For Jewish people, the Nazi version of the swastika is synonymous with evil.  It remains frightening to Jews, Roma, LGBTQ and others massacred by the Nazis. 

The word “swastika” derives from the Sanskrit (svastika) and the original symbol signifies divinity and spirituality in Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.

The design and style of the image often has softer or more fluid “arms” than the Nazi version and appears in many colours whereas the Nazi version is a black bent cross on a red and white background.  Specifically, concerning the design and appearance of the Nazi version of the swastika, Adolf Hitler stated in Mein Kampf: 

“I myself, meanwhile, after innumerable attempts, had laid down a final form; a flag with a red background, a white disk, and a black swastika in the middle. After long trials I also found a definite proportion between the size of the flag and the size of the white disk, as well as the shape and thickness of the swastika.”¹

Fig. 1

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Fig. 1 Fig. 2

We note these distinctions, and the pre-20^th century use in Indian and East Asian religions, to stress that we are not opposing the use of the term and symbol in these contexts. We urge that Bill C-9 make this specific distinction between these symbols so as not to create a chilling effect restraining the use of the swastika by south Asian and east Asian religious groups, a use which has no antisemitic connotations. 

Respectfully,

Andria Spindel

Executive Director

Canadian Antisemitism Education Foundation