RICHMOND, Va. (Diya TV) — Virginia enacted House Bill 2783, which criminalizes the display of Nazi symbols meant to intimidate but protect the sacred swastika that is revered by Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. The bill, enacted into law on March 24, 2025, creates a Class 6 felony for a person who, with the purpose of intimidating, places a Hakenkreuz—a Nazi swastika by common name—upon private property without the owner’s consent, or in any public area in which it has the effect of inciting reasonable fear of death or bodily injury.
The bill carefully distinguishes the Hakenkreuz, with its identification with Nazi philosophy, from the original swastika, which has been a sign of peace and prosperity in some religions. Such a differentiation assuages the fears of religious groups over misinterpretations of their symbol.
Samir Kalra, Managing Director of the Hindu American Foundation, was thankful for the bill. “We appreciate Virginia lawmakers’ action to shield both the Hindu and Jewish communities,” Kalra said. His group has been behind efforts to ensure the explicit distinction between the two symbols to avoid unintended repercussions for practitioners of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.
Before HB 2783 was passed into law, swastikas were banned from being placed in places of worship, schools, and religious bodies’ community centers. The new legislation adds these protections to private property and public areas, providing wider protection against intimidation acts using Nazi symbols. The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) also contributed to lobbying for the amendment of the bill to safeguard the religious swastika.
