Towards PEACE with TRUTH ~ REDEMPTION OF USURPED ANCIENT SYMBOLS
The inspiration for my title comes from the media’s recent castigation of Elon Musk. The deceptive journalism surrounding his gesture—placing his hand on his heart and flinging it toward both audiences—has been distorted into an alleged “Nazi salute.” My perception of this moment and the journalists’ perception stem from two opposing emotional origins: love (my response) and hate (theirs). It appears that Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) has now mutated into "Elon Derangement Syndrome" (EDS), where every action is filtered through a lens of predetermined condemnation.
This led me to a deeper question: If Adolf Hitler usurped the ancient swastika—a symbol of well-being and good fortune across cultures for millennia—and if 7th-century Arab Muslims colonized and culturally adopted the shemagh (شُمَاغ šumāġ) as a keffiyeh, why not begin a movement to restore the true meanings of these ancient symbols?
What is the actual origin of the so-called “Nazi salute”? Researching its history reveals a complex past that predates its infamous association with the Third Reich. The gesture, often called the “Roman salute,” can be traced back to classical antiquity, where it appeared in Roman art and literature as a sign of allegiance or greeting—an arm extended outward in respect.
Are we not, by allowing these usurped symbols to be used as tools of division, hatred, and violence, complicit in perpetuating historical deception? Have we surrendered to narratives that distort their original meanings? If so, is it time to reclaim what has been stolen, restoring these symbols to their rightful place in history?
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