(RNS) A UFO sect that believes human beings were created by extraterrestrials will host World Swastika Rehabilitation Day on Sunday (June 26) in an attempt to reclaim the swastika from the Nazis as an emblem of peace.
Raelians, whose symbol consists of a swastika that intertwines with two overlapping triangles to form a star, say the controversial emblem has been “hijacked by the Nazis,” and that their goal is to “return the swastika’s true meaning of peace and harmony.”
While the day is led by Raelians, organizers say that the event also includes Buddhists and Hindus because their traditions have also used ancient versions of the swastika in religious imagery.
Organizers hope the Sunday event, which was launched last year by Raelian leaders, will attract “hundreds, or, hopefully, thousands of people” in cities including New York City, Toronto and Mexico City.
Raelians, also known as the International Raelian Movement, were founded in 1974 by Claude Vorilhon, a former singer-songwriter and race car driver now known as Rael. The group denies the existence of a supernatural God but believes that human beings were created by a group of extraterrestrial scientists known as “Elohim.”
The group garnered international attention in 2002 when Clonaid — a Raelian-sponsored company dedicated to human cloning — claimed to have cloned a human child named “Eve.” The claim, which was highly disputed, stoked controversy amongst ethicists and scientists worldwide.