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All she asked was that Hindus displaying the swastika as part of their ancient culture not be lumped in with antisemites. And for that she was (wait for it) lumped in with antisemites: "named & shamed," bullied as if she were a Nazi. Appalling lack of judgment by @StopAntisemites https://twitter.com/StopAntisemites/status/1286041872671084545
I believe, though, that the friendship between #Hindus & #Jews is strong enough to weather random acts of stupidity like this. And I don't believe that the important fight against #antisemitism and #Hinduphobia will be permanently damaged by one unfortunate incident.
There's definitely an important conversation to be had about how #Jews are understandably traumatized by anything that looks like #Nazi imagery, and how Hindus/Buddhists/Jains have every right to practice their culture. I trust good people to respect one another's legit concerns.
I'll share that on my first visit to #India many years ago, I was shocked to see what I thought was the #Nazi symbol drawn on the ground. It was quickly explained to me and my concerns were alleviated. But I still remember my visceral initial reaction.
#Jews, including me, have a special sensitivity to anything that resembles #Nazi imagery. People use it all the time to this day to express hatred of Jews. That in no way justifies the incident with Simran. But I ask our friends to be patient with our emotional reaction. Thanks!
I'm gratified by all the positive reaction I've received. And of course a few bigots on each side have come out, making gross generalizations about the other group or trying to impose collective guilt on an entire group for the words of a few. But good folks outnumber the bigots!
