run off the swings symbolic imagery can
be a very powerful ideological tool but
not every image is universally accepted
or wholesome welcome to watchmojo.com
and today we’re counting down our picks
for the top ten controversial symbols
for this list we’re ranking visual
political and ideological symbols that
often serve up sight orders of
hot-button controversy or trigger strong
personal reactions from the public as
well as those that possess the potential
to offend or cause an uproar although
not every symbol may be at the same
level of extremity or may not mean the
same thing to every culture their impact
has nevertheless continued to resonate
and provoke number 10 the apartheid flag
of South Africa the history of this
South African flag dates back to 1928
and depict smaller versions of flags
representing the Dutch and English
settlers that first colonized the
country back in the 17th century
although South Africa officially adopted
a new national flag in 1994 the fact
that this older flag represents the
segregationist apartheid regime which
was once in power there makes it a
symbol often associated with white
supremacists in the country and around
the world
a recent example includes 2015
Charleston South Carolina Church shooter
Dylann roof whose Facebook page showed
him wearing a jacket with an apartheid
era South African flag this photo from
roofs facebook profile shows him wearing
a jacket with apartheid era Rhodesian
flags these old flags from South Africa
and Rhodesia no Zimbabwe represented
these African nations when they were run
by a white minority number nine the flag
of Israel the sovereign state of Israel
has flown this flag since October of
1948 and since that time the flag has
been the subject of much debate I had
really no idea what the response would
be I figured the response when I flew
these really flag will be negative but I
kind of figured that going in on the
unhand some Israeli Arabs have felt that
the Star of David was too specific a
Jewish symbol on the other hand some
Orthodox Jews the Hasidim have also
taken umbrage to the star citing that
its appearance on the flag has quote
defiled the symbol other groups have
also claimed the flags blue stripes
signify a Jewish ambition to take over
the land of Israel between the Nile and
Euphrates rivers net flag wave is the
psychological genocide of this planet
number 8 LGBT pride the rainbow flag
although the history of this flag is
comparatively recent to others on this
list as it was only popularized around
1978 it has seen increased visibility
and controversy in contemporary history
the rainbow flag is representative of
diversity the gay pride movement and
tolerance within the gay lesbian
bisexual and transgendered communities
now it’s not just a rainbow that each
stripe actually has a symbolic meaning
so each colored stripe represents a
different trait of the LGBT movement red
represents life orange represents
healing yellow represents sunlight green
represents nature blue represents
serenity and violet represents spirit
despite the flags message of peace
however there still exists much in the
way of resistance and intolerance from
those who do not approve of the
lifestyles for which this flag flies
number seven the Rising Sun flag of
Japan this next symbol on our list may
possess one of the longest national
histories as the incorporation of
Japan’s Rising Sun flag dates all the
way back to the Adell period of
feudalism between 1603 and 1868 the main
bone of contention with this flag
however is a bit more recent as the
flags bright red Sun on a stark white
backdrop is often associated with the
Japanese imperialism of World War two
although these days the flag is
associated primarily with contemporary
pop culture imagery and ads for many
this Rising Sun flag still harbors some
unpleasant memories and is considered
offensive to many Chinese and South
Korean individuals moves to allow the
use of this flag are expected to poison
already strained relations with South
Korea and China China considers the flag
the equivalent of the Nazi swastika in
Europe number six the Washington
Redskins logo in a story similar to that
of Major League Baseball’s Cleveland
Indians the controversy behind the NFL
teams mascot and logo has been brewing
for many years if you want the Redskins
to change their name what about the
Blackhawks what about the Indians in
Major League Baseball what about the
Atlanta Braves in a major league
baseball many Native American rights
groups and tribes have protested the
lack of racial sensitivity behind the
Redskins name and logo which depicts the
side profile of an American Indian with
a feathered headdress and have called
for its elimination from team uniforms
and memorabilia Native Americans call
themselves many things
the one thing they don’t
the team has even come before court
judges with regards to their trademark
of the name as recently as 2014 it’s the
US District Court upholding a prior
ruling on July 8th 2015 relating to the
cancellation of several Redskins
trademarks this serves as a sign that
the logos days may be numbered we
received a lot of pressure from certain
communities to change our Redskins logo
as a company we want to be firm but we
also want to be flexible number 5 the
jihadist black flag this Islamic flag is
an offshoot of the black standard a
solid black flag also known as the
banner or the banner of the eagle that
was flown by the Prophet Mohammed using
a black flag as its background the
jihadist black flag is inscribed with an
islamic creed or Shahada that’s been
printed in white since its first
documented appearance in the 18th
century during the hotaki dynasty in
what is now Afghanistan and Pakistan the
Taliban and al-qaida have been known to
use it
the flags association with terrorism and
the armed jihadist holy war movements
has led to its increased level of
controversy around the world a decision
was taken by the flag well because we
live in a free country and I think it’s
I think you’d have to you’d have to have
primary legislation to designate certain
you know bits of iconography as being
illegal number 4 the hammer and sickle
this iconic symbol of the communist
movement was first conceived during a
Russian Revolution of 1917 it’s seen an
increased level of worldwide visibility
right up through the Cold War of the
1980s
between the United States and the Soviet
Union mr. Gorbachev tear down this wall
originally meant to represent the
worker-peasant alliance the symbols
association with the Cold War sentiment
has led to its controversy over the
years soon after the end of World War
two Russia had occupied many new
territories bringing additional millions
of people under communist control
however the hammer and sickle still
remains a viable and popular symbol
within Russian
orders despite the Soviet Union’s
dissolution in 1991 number three
the Confederate flag the flag of the
Confederate States of America otherwise
known as the Confederate flag became an
especially controversial topic in 2015
with South Carolina’s landmark decision
to remove it from the state capitol
building following the Charleston Church
shooting ‘he’s serving as an issue of
precedent for other southern states who
continue to fly the symbol or
incorporated within their own states
flags the man accused of the shooting
Dylan roof had earlier posted these
photographs of himself with the flag the
rebel flag as it’s sometimes known has
come under fire for many human rights
groups and individuals as a symbol of
slavery and racism similar to the
burning crosses of the Ku Klux Klan
dating back to the Confederate flags
usage by southern states during the
American Civil War I cannot believe that
we did not have the heart in this body
to do something meaningful such as take
a similar hate off these grounds on
Friday number 2 the inverted pentagram
although usage of an upright pentagram
can be traced back to many cultures and
religions from East Asian traditions and
Pagan nature religions to its adoption
as a Christian symbol of the five senses
the inverted pentagram has long been
associated with the occult you’re
holding it upside down indeed many
practitioners and students of the occult
have cited its usage by such noted
figures as Church of Satan founder Anton
LaVey and magician Aleister Crowley
whose habitual referencing of the number
666 earned him the nickname beast which
he expanded to the Great Beast
as such symbol strong demonic imagery
and anti-christian sentiment has
incurred controversy over the years
thanks in part to its pop culture
appearances in television music and film
not unlike the inverted Christian cross
before we unveil our number one pick
here are some honorable mentions
number one the swastika
this symbols undeniable association with
the dictatorial reign of Adolf Hitler
and the Third Reich during the Nazi
party’s occupation of Germany from 1933
to 1945 is the reason why the swastika
takes a predictable top spot on our list
despite the symbols early history as a
secret image among Hindus Buddhists and
janus –ts indeed the adoption of
symbols such as the swastika and twin
lightning bolt by white supremacist
organizations in the years following
Germany’s defeat by Allied forces in
world war ii ensures their place in the
annals of controversy up stolen basi
house fish to be in hot do you agree
with our list
what other symbols do you find to be
controversial for more informative top
10s published every day be sure to
subscribe to watchmojo.com
be a very powerful ideological tool but
not every image is universally accepted
or wholesome welcome to watchmojo.com
and today we’re counting down our picks
for the top ten controversial symbols
for this list we’re ranking visual
political and ideological symbols that
often serve up sight orders of
hot-button controversy or trigger strong
personal reactions from the public as
well as those that possess the potential
to offend or cause an uproar although
not every symbol may be at the same
level of extremity or may not mean the
same thing to every culture their impact
has nevertheless continued to resonate
and provoke number 10 the apartheid flag
of South Africa the history of this
South African flag dates back to 1928
and depict smaller versions of flags
representing the Dutch and English
settlers that first colonized the
country back in the 17th century
although South Africa officially adopted
a new national flag in 1994 the fact
that this older flag represents the
segregationist apartheid regime which
was once in power there makes it a
symbol often associated with white
supremacists in the country and around
the world
a recent example includes 2015
Charleston South Carolina Church shooter
Dylann roof whose Facebook page showed
him wearing a jacket with an apartheid
era South African flag this photo from
roofs facebook profile shows him wearing
a jacket with apartheid era Rhodesian
flags these old flags from South Africa
and Rhodesia no Zimbabwe represented
these African nations when they were run
by a white minority number nine the flag
of Israel the sovereign state of Israel
has flown this flag since October of
1948 and since that time the flag has
been the subject of much debate I had
really no idea what the response would
be I figured the response when I flew
these really flag will be negative but I
kind of figured that going in on the
unhand some Israeli Arabs have felt that
the Star of David was too specific a
Jewish symbol on the other hand some
Orthodox Jews the Hasidim have also
taken umbrage to the star citing that
its appearance on the flag has quote
defiled the symbol other groups have
also claimed the flags blue stripes
signify a Jewish ambition to take over
the land of Israel between the Nile and
Euphrates rivers net flag wave is the
psychological genocide of this planet
number 8 LGBT pride the rainbow flag
although the history of this flag is
comparatively recent to others on this
list as it was only popularized around
1978 it has seen increased visibility
and controversy in contemporary history
the rainbow flag is representative of
diversity the gay pride movement and
tolerance within the gay lesbian
bisexual and transgendered communities
now it’s not just a rainbow that each
stripe actually has a symbolic meaning
so each colored stripe represents a
different trait of the LGBT movement red
represents life orange represents
healing yellow represents sunlight green
represents nature blue represents
serenity and violet represents spirit
despite the flags message of peace
however there still exists much in the
way of resistance and intolerance from
those who do not approve of the
lifestyles for which this flag flies
number seven the Rising Sun flag of
Japan this next symbol on our list may
possess one of the longest national
histories as the incorporation of
Japan’s Rising Sun flag dates all the
way back to the Adell period of
feudalism between 1603 and 1868 the main
bone of contention with this flag
however is a bit more recent as the
flags bright red Sun on a stark white
backdrop is often associated with the
Japanese imperialism of World War two
although these days the flag is
associated primarily with contemporary
pop culture imagery and ads for many
this Rising Sun flag still harbors some
unpleasant memories and is considered
offensive to many Chinese and South
Korean individuals moves to allow the
use of this flag are expected to poison
already strained relations with South
Korea and China China considers the flag
the equivalent of the Nazi swastika in
Europe number six the Washington
Redskins logo in a story similar to that
of Major League Baseball’s Cleveland
Indians the controversy behind the NFL
teams mascot and logo has been brewing
for many years if you want the Redskins
to change their name what about the
Blackhawks what about the Indians in
Major League Baseball what about the
Atlanta Braves in a major league
baseball many Native American rights
groups and tribes have protested the
lack of racial sensitivity behind the
Redskins name and logo which depicts the
side profile of an American Indian with
a feathered headdress and have called
for its elimination from team uniforms
and memorabilia Native Americans call
themselves many things
the one thing they don’t
the team has even come before court
judges with regards to their trademark
of the name as recently as 2014 it’s the
US District Court upholding a prior
ruling on July 8th 2015 relating to the
cancellation of several Redskins
trademarks this serves as a sign that
the logos days may be numbered we
received a lot of pressure from certain
communities to change our Redskins logo
as a company we want to be firm but we
also want to be flexible number 5 the
jihadist black flag this Islamic flag is
an offshoot of the black standard a
solid black flag also known as the
banner or the banner of the eagle that
was flown by the Prophet Mohammed using
a black flag as its background the
jihadist black flag is inscribed with an
islamic creed or Shahada that’s been
printed in white since its first
documented appearance in the 18th
century during the hotaki dynasty in
what is now Afghanistan and Pakistan the
Taliban and al-qaida have been known to
use it
the flags association with terrorism and
the armed jihadist holy war movements
has led to its increased level of
controversy around the world a decision
was taken by the flag well because we
live in a free country and I think it’s
I think you’d have to you’d have to have
primary legislation to designate certain
you know bits of iconography as being
illegal number 4 the hammer and sickle
this iconic symbol of the communist
movement was first conceived during a
Russian Revolution of 1917 it’s seen an
increased level of worldwide visibility
right up through the Cold War of the
1980s
between the United States and the Soviet
Union mr. Gorbachev tear down this wall
originally meant to represent the
worker-peasant alliance the symbols
association with the Cold War sentiment
has led to its controversy over the
years soon after the end of World War
two Russia had occupied many new
territories bringing additional millions
of people under communist control
however the hammer and sickle still
remains a viable and popular symbol
within Russian
orders despite the Soviet Union’s
dissolution in 1991 number three
the Confederate flag the flag of the
Confederate States of America otherwise
known as the Confederate flag became an
especially controversial topic in 2015
with South Carolina’s landmark decision
to remove it from the state capitol
building following the Charleston Church
shooting ‘he’s serving as an issue of
precedent for other southern states who
continue to fly the symbol or
incorporated within their own states
flags the man accused of the shooting
Dylan roof had earlier posted these
photographs of himself with the flag the
rebel flag as it’s sometimes known has
come under fire for many human rights
groups and individuals as a symbol of
slavery and racism similar to the
burning crosses of the Ku Klux Klan
dating back to the Confederate flags
usage by southern states during the
American Civil War I cannot believe that
we did not have the heart in this body
to do something meaningful such as take
a similar hate off these grounds on
Friday number 2 the inverted pentagram
although usage of an upright pentagram
can be traced back to many cultures and
religions from East Asian traditions and
Pagan nature religions to its adoption
as a Christian symbol of the five senses
the inverted pentagram has long been
associated with the occult you’re
holding it upside down indeed many
practitioners and students of the occult
have cited its usage by such noted
figures as Church of Satan founder Anton
LaVey and magician Aleister Crowley
whose habitual referencing of the number
666 earned him the nickname beast which
he expanded to the Great Beast
as such symbol strong demonic imagery
and anti-christian sentiment has
incurred controversy over the years
thanks in part to its pop culture
appearances in television music and film
not unlike the inverted Christian cross
before we unveil our number one pick
here are some honorable mentions
number one the swastika
this symbols undeniable association with
the dictatorial reign of Adolf Hitler
and the Third Reich during the Nazi
party’s occupation of Germany from 1933
to 1945 is the reason why the swastika
takes a predictable top spot on our list
despite the symbols early history as a
secret image among Hindus Buddhists and
janus –ts indeed the adoption of
symbols such as the swastika and twin
lightning bolt by white supremacist
organizations in the years following
Germany’s defeat by Allied forces in
world war ii ensures their place in the
annals of controversy up stolen basi
house fish to be in hot do you agree
with our list
what other symbols do you find to be
controversial for more informative top
10s published every day be sure to
subscribe to watchmojo.com
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