On Sunday (December 18), the New York Times courted controversy after the crossword in the American newspaper bore an uncanny resemblance to the Nazi symbol ‘Hakenkreuz’ (or Hooked cross).
Social media users questioned the editorial decision-making process of the English daily and harbouring anti-semitism. They also raised alarms about the timing of the word puzzle, given that it was published on the eve of the Jewish festival of ‘Hanukkah.’
Former reality TV producer, Keith Edwards, asked, “What the hell, New York Times?
Bryan E. Leib, the Executive Director of ‘Iranian Americans for Liberty’, pointed out, “Being a Jew in 2022 in America looks like this…What the f*ck is happening to this nation? Today’s #NYT crossword”
Another Twitter user wrote, “Happy Hanukkah to everyone but the person who designed this swastika themed crossword puzzle in the NYT.”
The son of the former US President Donald Trump also called out the New YorkTimes over the publication of the controversial crossword.
“Disgusting! Only the New York Times would get Hanukkah going with this is the crossword puzzle. Imagine what they would do to someone who did this and was not ideologically aligned with them?”
He added, “I’ll give them the same benefit of the doubt they would give those people… Exactly Zero.”
Another Twitter user accused the American newspaper of siding with the Nazi party of Adolf Hitler in World War II.
“Never use NYT as your “source” on anything Jewish and/or Israel related. They supported Nazis in WWII, refused to report on the Holocaust, and just today – on Hanukkah – put a swastika in their crossword section. They never stopped profiting from Jew-hatred,” the handle claimed.
New York Times has been a repeat offender
It is not the first time that the New York Times had resorted to using the design of a Hakenkreuz for their daily word puzzle. In October 2017, the newspaper had committed the same offence.
At that time, it had issued a statement, distancing itself from the controversy. “Yes, hi. It’s NOT a swastika. Honest to God. No one sits down to make a crossword puzzle and says, “Hey! You know what would look cool?” the New York Times said in a tweet.
The contentious word puzzle bore alikeness with the hooked cross (Hakenkreuz),which was adopted in 1920 by the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NAZI party).
The Nazi symbol comprised of the hooked cross, a white disc and a red background. It was popularised by Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, responsible for the death of 6 million Jews.
In its 2017 tweet, the New York Times had deliberately conflated the Vedic symbol of Swastika with the Nazi symbol of Hakenkreuz. For decades, the Hindu symbol has been maligned and characterised as a sign associated with the murderous Nazi ideology.
Hinduphobic organisations and left-wing ‘intellectuals’ have used equated the two to denigrate Hindus and paint those who use the symbol as proponents of the Nazi ideology.
However, there is a huge difference between the two symbols, which they have ridiculously considered as one and the same, thereby not only hurting Hindu feelings but also displaying their innate Hinduphobia.