Reddit, a vast online community, serves as a platform for people to share their experiences, seek advice, and connect with others who share similar interests. A woman recently shared a post seeking suggestions from Redditors, especially those in Germany. She asked if her name would cause issues while visiting the country.
What is her name?
“Would someone named Swastika have a problem in Germany? (Not a joke I promise),” she asked. In her post. Swastika explained the significance of the symbol in Hinduism, adding, “Now, I have a conference to attend in dresden, but I am really scared people taking me for a fascist or a nazi. I don’t even know if I’ll get a visa. It’s impossible to change my name as its very cumbersome to change all the documents.”
Why she thinks her name could cause a problem?
For the unversed, in Hinduism, the swastika is a revered symbol associated with prosperity, good fortune, and new beginnings.
However, its interpretation in Germany is markedly different. There, a variant of the swastika was adopted by the Nazi Party, linking it to Aryan supremacy and anti-Semitism. This unfortunate association has led to the symbol’s widespread condemnation in many Western countries.
The shocked reaction
“I didn’t think it was a big deal, but then, I talked to an American guy and I told my name and he was in pure disbelief,” Swastika further wrote, adding, “So, all my dreams of travelling Europe is slashed?”
Take a look at the entire post here:
What did Reddit say?
The Reddit community came to her aid, with many suggesting the ways in which she could avoid potential problems that may arise due to her name.
“Use initials”
A Reddit user suggested, “You should not get any Heat from Officials like at the airport or anything like that. I would talk to the conference organisers if they could print name tags and such with a shortened forename like ‘S. Yourlastname’. That way it’s not constantly the first topic if you talk to someone or sit at a dinner table with placement cards. At the sametime that being a conference should mean that the level of education is higher. The misuse of the symbol and its origin is well known in Germany. Don’t think too much about it.” Agreeing, another added, “This is the correct answer. Get yourself a name tag that doesn’t reveal your first name, and use a nickname when introducing yourself to people.”
Note of reassurance
“It shouldn’t have any effect on your visa. German consular officials in India (which is where you’ll have your visa interview) should know about the Indian connection of the symbol. But if you want to avoid both shocked faces and snickers while you’re in Germany, I would consider going by initials informally, as many Indians do anyway. So just introduce yourself as SJ or whatever. Have a great trip,” commented a third.
A fourth wrote, “As long as you don’t draw Swastikas everywhere you go you should be fine. People might snicker or laugh at your full name even if they try to be polite. That’s a real risk. But no one will ever know if you go by Mrs./Frau/Title/surname. Otherwise it might be a funny conversation starter if you meet someone you’ll trade first names with.”
Are her fears unfounded?
Though that question may be tough to answer, there have been incidents where women named Swastika faced issues in foreign countries due to their monikers. A woman named Swastika Chandra faced a ban from Uber ride-sharing and food delivery services while in Australia. The company issued the ban citing that her name “violated” the company’s terms.
“I was putting in an order for food one afternoon and went to the payment stage and this pop-up came up saying, ‘Your first name is in violation and you need to change your name on the app’,” Chandra told A Current Affair.
She contacted Uber, explaining what her name means in Hinduism. After five months, the company responded, apologised to her, and allowed her to rejoin the platform. During her ordeal, she also found support from the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies.
What did Uber say?
“Uber is committed to facilitating a safe and welcoming environment for all users. For that reason, Uber has a global policy of restricting access to users whose names entered into the Uber app contain potentially offensive words,” the company said, adding that they understand “there are different cultural nuances to names”. Hence, they make sure to evaluate each account “fairly”.
“In this case, after reviewing Ms Chandra’s request, we reinstated her access to the app,” the company stated. “We have apologised to Ms Chandra for the inconvenience this caused her, and we appreciate her patience as we reviewed the matter, which took longer than we hoped it would,” Uber added.
What are your thoughts on this post by the Redditor about her name being a potential problem in Germany?