Apology from Ye, formerly Kanye West, Insults Two Billion People by Equating Swastika with Hakenkreuz

COHNA calls for correction after artist’s advertisement in Wall Street Journal

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, January 26, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) calls on Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, and The Wall Street Journal to issue a correction to the paid advertisement published on January 26, 2026, which contains a factually inaccurate and deeply offensive statement about the Swastika.

In his apology for antisemitic remarks, Mr. Ye stated that he “gravitated towards the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika.” This statement insults nearly two billion Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and adherents of other indigenous faiths worldwide for whom the Swastika is a sacred symbol.

For thousands of years, the Swastika has represented auspiciousness, good fortune, and well-being in Dharmic traditions. It remains central to our religious ceremonies, festivals, and sacred spaces.

Critically, Adolf Hitler never used the word “Swastika” to describe his symbol of hate—he called it the Hakenkreuz (“hooked cross” in German). Even Western press reporting on the rise of Hitler in the 1920s called the symbol the same thing the Nazis did—Hakenkreuz. Faulty translations at the start of World War II created a misunderstanding that has now ballooned to create a global problem of perception and misunderstanding.

This important historical distinction has been formally recognized by state legislation in Virginia and California, as well as by the Canadian Parliament as recently as last month.

In the past few years there has been a chorus of voices calling for accuracy in using this symbol, including Jewish groups like B’nai Brith in Canada and leading Jewish intellectuals like Steven Heller.

This is not the first time CoHNA has corrected Mr. Ye on this matter. “In February 2025, when he was selling T-shirts with the Hakenkreuz, we reminded Shopify, the media, and the public that Hitler’s symbol is not the Swastika, said Nikunj Trivedi, president of CoHNA. It is deeply disappointing that a year later, he and esteemed institutions like the Wall Street Journal continue to perpetuate this harmful misinformation that threatens the religious freedom of billions of people to practice their faith and use their sacred symbols.”

While we acknowledge Mr. Ye’s attempt to apologize for past harms, we cannot accept the perpetuation of another harmful falsehood that stigmatizes the sacred symbol of billions of people. Accuracy and cultural context matter, especially in statements of this magnitude and reach.

CoHNA urges Mr. Ye and The Wall Street Journal to issue a public correction distinguishing between the sacred Swastika and the Nazi Hakenkreuz, and to acknowledge the pain caused to Dharmic communities by this mischaracterization.

About CoHNA
CoHNA is a grassroots level advocacy and civil rights organization dedicated to improving the understanding of Hinduism in North America by working on matters related to the Hindu community and by educating the public about Hindu heritage and tradition. For more information, please visit https://cohna.org or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and on Instagram.
For more information or media inquiries, please contact:
Pushpita.Prasad@cohna.org

Pushpita Prasad
Coalition of Hindus of North America
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