The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) has called on Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, and The Wall Street Journal to issue a correction to a “paid advertisement” published on January 26, 2026, which the organization says, “contains a factually inaccurate and deeply offensive statement about the Swastika.”

In a statement released on January 26, CoHNA cited Ye’s apology for past antisemitic remarks, in which he stated that he “gravitated towards the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika.” 

According to CoHNA, the statement “insults nearly two billion Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and adherents of other indigenous faiths worldwide for whom the Swastika is a sacred symbol.”

The organization emphasized that 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,” the statement stressed.

CoHNA also highlighted a key historical distinction, noting that Adolf Hitler never used the term “Swastika” to describe the Nazi symbol of “hate,” instead referring to it as the “Hakenkreuz,” or “hooked cross” in German. The statement added that Western press coverage during the 1920s similarly used the term “Hakenkreuz” when reporting on the rise of Hitler.

This distinction, CoHNA noted, has been formally recognized through state legislation in Virginia and California, as well as by the Canadian Parliament as recently as last month. The organization further underscored that in recent years there has been a growing call for “accuracy” in the use of this “symbol,” including from Jewish groups such as B’nai Brith in Canada and prominent Jewish intellectuals like Steven Heller.

The statement said this is not the first time CoHNA has addressed the issue with Ye. “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,” the statement said, adding that “accuracy and cultural context” are essential, particularly in statements with such wide reach and influence.

CoHNA has therefore urged Ye and The Wall Street Journal to issue a “public correction” that clearly distinguishes between the “sacred Swastika” and the “Nazi Hakenkreuz,” and to acknowledge the “pain” caused to Dharmic communities by what it described as a “mischaracterization.”

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