Canada amends proposed Combating Hate Act, Bill C-9
New Delhi, Dec. 14, 2025: In a significant development, Canada’s Parliament has taken a key step to address a long-standing cultural misunderstanding. The House of Commons Justice Committee has amended the proposed Combating Hate Act, Bill C-9, removing the word ‘swastika’ and replacing it with the historically accurate term ‘Nazi Hakenkreuz’. Community leaders have welcomed the move as a landmark decision that protects religious identity while continuing efforts to combat hate.
The decision, taken on 9 December 2025, followed months of testimony and petitions by more than a hundred Hindu, Jain and Buddhist organisations. The Justice Committee had initially considered a clause banning the display of the ‘Nazi Hakenkreuz, also known as the Nazi swastika’. Community representatives argued that the wording wrongly equated their sacred swastika—a symbol of well-being and peace—with Hitler’s hate emblem. The committee unanimously agreed to remove any reference to the swastika.
Advocacy groups, including the Hindu Canadian Foundation and the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA), led coordinated campaigns that resulted in nearly 9,000 emails to Members of Parliament and Senators. CoHNA said community testimonies, policy briefs and grassroots outreach played a crucial role in the outcome.
The amendment has been hailed as a landmark victory by Canada’s Dharmic communities and their allies. More than 100 organisations, ranging from Hindu federations to Buddhist temple coalitions, worked together through petitions, briefings and interfaith dialogues. While debate continues on other provisions of Bill C-9, the amendment sets an important precedent. Community groups have now turned their focus to educating Canadians about the spiritual meaning of the swastika. (Source: PIB)
