Sure, Singapore’s history isn’t deeply tarnished with the ugly presence of white supremacists and Nazi ideology, but that doesn’t mean that locals should be ignorant to the symbols that represent their messages of hate.
An image purportedly taken in Sentosa of a man flaunting his contentious tattoos — a Nazi Eagle and The Celtic Cross — recently went viral after Redditor LF1MSonja posted it online. To be fair, he was not exactly caught breaking the law nor was he up to no good. But that doesn’t mean that folks can’t be offended at such a casual display of his permanently inked allegiance to racist doctrines — especially one so rooted in heinous crimes, outright immorality and millions of deaths.
Tattooed on his lower back is a Nazi Eagle, a symbol developed by the Nazi Party in Germany in the 1920s. The symbol of an eagle clutching a swastika has been appropriated by neo-Nazis and other white supremacists worldwide. On his left arm, a tattoo that appears to be of The Celtic Cross can be seen. The symbol is associated with Neo-Nazis — believed to have been adopted among European bigots as an alternative to the swastika, which has been prohibited in many countries. Through the circle/cross design has had non-Nazi usage before its appropriation, the symbol is based on the belief that Celts are the “true” Europeans of “pure breed”.
And if you were to argue that the monstrous misdeeds associated with Nazis are a thing of the past, well. Sorry. To. Disappoint. You.
Such is the astounding ignorance shown by folks in the comments section of the All Singapore Stuff Facebook page, which posted the image yesterday morning.
Some aren’t even seeing the significance and weight behind the symbols, believing that they’re just… tattoos.
In case it isn’t explicitly clear, the issue isn’t about having tattoos — the form of decorative body modification is an art. The issue that should bring some unease is the fact that the man wasn’t at all ashamed to be showing off his adherence to Neo-Nazism, i.e., his support of racism, ultranationalism, xenophobia, and the recent wave of violence involving the movement.
It’s something that other netizens tried to educate, to no avail.
