Source: www.mercurynews.com
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, September 16, 2010: After removing a tapestry featuring a Hindu swastika amid complaints it was offensive, Pretend City Children’s Museum in Irvine has decided to re-hang the piece.
The Orange County Register reported Thursday that museum officials decided to return the colorful Indian tapestry to its spot next week accompanied by better signage to help children learn about the multiple meanings of symbols.
The museum hung the tapestry as part of a walk-in exhibit on a local Indian family. After protests on Facebook the museum removed the piece, a decision that sparked more complaints. The tapestry features a left-facing swastika which symbolizes harmony and good luck in Hinduism. Yet, it also resembles the hated symbol from the German Nazi Party, which faces right. The exhibit is expected to be on view through the end of November.
[HPI note: The right-facing swastika is also used in Hinduism as a positive symbol, specially in tantric practices. Implying that Hindus have a “good” swastika and the nazi-fascism a “bad” swastika is simplistic and misinformative].