Elon Musk just can’t help himself. His latest goof-up on X displays ignorance and more. However, it showcases how dangerous Western misidentification of symbols can be. When Musk declared that “Anyone who scrawls a swastika on a Tesla has obviously committed a hate crime,” he wasn’t just making a statement about vandalism.
Musk through his post was reinforcing the West’s lazy, harmful conflation of the ancient Hindu Swastika with Hitler’s Hakenkreuz – the twisted hooked cross that symbolizes oppression, genocide, and hate.
But here’s the kicker: no Hindu, no Indian, no Sanatani had anything to do with this. The entire incident involved two presumably Western White men – one accusing the other of scratching a “swastika” symbol onto his Tesla. Yet, thanks to Musk’s uninformed post, Hindus across the world may now find themselves the unintended targets of hate.
The Incident: An Uninformed Man Calls Out Another Uninformed Man
This Tesla vandal says “obviously I did not intend to do this”—that is, carve a swastika into a Tesla
How does one do such a thing unintentionally? https://t.co/wXojyryUsc
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) March 31, 2025
Let’s break it down. The viral video Musk quoted shows a confrontation between two men. Only one is visible on camera – the accused vandal. The Tesla owner repeatedly asks him if he scrawled a “swastika” on the car. The accused stammers and denies any intent. What isn’t clear from the video? Whether the scratched symbol is actually a Swastika or a Hakenkreuz. But that didn’t stop Musk from making a grand declaration.
In typical Elon Musk fashion, he jumped onto X, virtue-signaling against hate crimes while failing to acknowledge the nuance of what he was saying.
Because here’s the truth: if the symbol scratched onto the Tesla was the Hakenkreuz, then yes, it’s a symbol of hate. No Swastika can ever be classified as a hate crime. Thus, the entire outrage is based on Western ignorance. Again!
Dear Elon – My Swastika Is Not Your Hakenkreuz
Anyone who scrawls a swastika on a Tesla has obviously committed a hate crime https://t.co/EJFkYxDHrV
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 31, 2025
Let’s be clear. The Swastika is one of the most sacred symbols in Hindu Dharma, Jainism, and Buddhism. It represents auspiciousness, prosperity, and cosmic harmony. In Hindu traditions, the right-facing Swastika symbolizes Surya, the Sun, and divine order. The dots within it signify energy and balance.
Meanwhile, the German Hakenkreuz is a perverted, angled perversion of the Swastika.
A stolen symbol, a twisted adaptation of Sawastika used by Adolf Hitler. And it represents Hitler’s legacy of hate and ideology of intolerance. But, the Hakenkreuz was never a Hindu symbol. And it was never Indian.
Yet, the West refuses to acknowledge the difference between Swastika and Hakenkreuz.
Schools in America ban Hindu Swastikas. Western media constantly mislabels it. Hindus are equated to Nazis for using the Swastika! And now, one of the world’s richest men is using his platform to spread more misinformation regarding this sacred Sanatani symbol.
Elon Musk’s Goof-Up Can Fuel Hate Against Hindus
The real danger here isn’t just ignorance or misidentification of a symbol’s name. It’s how that ignorance can potentially fuel anti-Hindu sentiment online and offline. Elon Musk has now put out a statement to 170 million followers that strengthens the false equivalence between the Swastika and the Hakenkreuz.
In a world where hate crimes against Hindus are already on the rise, Musk’s misidentification of a Swatika with a Hakenkreuz will have disastrous consequences.
Breaking | The largest Hindu temple in California, @BAPS_PubAffairs temple in Chino Hills, was vandalized with profanities earlier today.
We ask @ChinoHills_PD, @FBI @FBIDirectorKash @DNIGabbard to investigate this latest in a string of anti-Hindu hate crimes on our sacred… pic.twitter.com/jT4Z0zCnIp
— Hindu American Foundation (@HinduAmerican) March 8, 2025
Imagine a scenario where a Hindu priest draws a Swastika on a temple entrance in America. A misinformed bigot, emboldened by Musk’s tweet, might see it as a Nazi symbol and vandalize the temple. Or worse, attack the people inside. This isn’t just hypothetical – it’s already happening. Hindu students in American universities have been harassed for using their religious symbols. Temples have been defaced by those who don’t know, or care to know, the difference.
By irresponsibly throwing around the words “Swastika” and “hate crime” together in a post, Elon Musk is adding fuel to an already burning fire.
Instead of clarifying the difference, he’s making it worse.
And that’s not just a goof-up; that’s a global problem.
Western Hypocrisy and the Burden of Education
Thank you for this super important distinction.
Symbols of hate are the Hakenkreuz–Hitler's name for his symbol. The sacred Swastika is revered by 2 billion Buddhists. Hindus and Jains around the world. Context Matters –as this simple guide lays out. https://t.co/M5bJxw9rN1 pic.twitter.com/6CcyivqP9g
— CoHNA (Coalition of Hindus of North America) (@CoHNAOfficial) March 31, 2025
It’s remarkable how the West demands “cultural sensitivity” in every other arena. However, when it comes to Hindus and their symbols, it remains proudly ignorant. They’ll lecture the world on pronouns, on cultural appropriation, on decolonization. Yet, it refuses to acknowledge that their mistake is leading to real-world consequences for Hindus.
And so, once more, the burden of education falls on Hindus.
Sanatanis now have to fight not just against actual bigotry but also against the laziness of Western thought.
As long as Musk and his ilk refuse to get their facts right, the Hindu Swastika will remain unfairly demonized. Elon Musk needs to be corrected or get a “community note”. And so does the entire West.
It’s time they learn: My Swastika is not your Hakenkreuz.
Stop confusing the two.