Holocaust
The Holocaust was the worst form of genocide to have happened to a single race in the twentieth century. The Holocaust involved a systematic and bureaucratic persecution of Jews, sponsored by the Nazi regime, together with its collaborators. During the Holocaust, more than 6 million Jews were executed in Nazi Germany and other German-occupied regions due to hatred and political domination in the region. This practice depicted lack of dignity to human life. Although the Holocaust outcomes may have been drifted away from the present day, the moral benefits from the incident will remain in people’s minds, as the concept is still applicable in today’s world.
The Nazis were extremists in dealing with their enemies, and the Holocaust, which happened during the WWII, was a consequence of their brutal characters. The long-standing hatred to the Jews, in addition to manipulation of popular sentiments led to hostility toward Jews, resulting into organized killing (Bergen 2). The killing was not selective, as men, women, as well as children were brutally murdered. The Jewish civilization was blown out of proportion in Europe, as dictatorial leaders worked to attain their selfish gains. Some historians claimed that it was unusual for a state to declare such killings to a specific group within a short notice.
The Holocaust is still happening in the world, particularly in the Middle East where thousands of people have been killed during the conflict between Arabs and other tribes. The Holocaust is happening where people do not recognize the dignity of humanity. Women in China are forced to abort their children as a form of family planning, and some of them die in the process while some are beaten to death. According to Women’s Rights Without Frontiers (WRWF), the gendercide in China has claimed more 200 million lives of girls who were selected to undergo abortion just because they are girls while 336 million women have already secured abortion (Andrews n.p). What happened in Sudan and Rwanda is a clear illustration of human disregard of other humans.
The story God Grew Tired of Us depicts the spread of the Holocaust in Africa. Young men from Sudan had fled their village for fear of extermination and sterilization, and walked for five years for safety. Most of them died through starvation, diseases, and attack by wild animals. Only a few managed to arrive in Kakuma Camp, where the UN hosted them. Although they had to struggle to survive, they benefited from shelter, clothes, and education. Thus, after struggle, a chance for adjustment was for the immigrants to fit in the new surrounding, which is different from what they used to in their homeland. The story They Poured Fire on US illustrate how three young men fled from the militia men after being advised by their parents to do so when the militia came to their village. The three boys endured hunger and desert terrain as they walked thousands of miles from Sudan to Kenya. They had to get away from genocide situation in Sudan and endure separation from their parents, despite their young age. Their story depicts how humans can be cruel to each other, as they endeavor to maintain their superiority.
The Holocaust has many lessons to the current generation. States should contribute in bringing people together, rather than dividing them along racial lines. There is no superior race than the other. If the state did not incite people on superiority of certain races, the Holocaust could not have occurred. The conspiracies of silence and inaction are deadlier than fire, as knowing about the plot and acting on the vice could have helped in saving the Jews. The genocide of such nature proved to the world that anything could happen without individuals’ expectations. The society should cease from being self-centered, and religion should be utilized to bring people together, rather than tearing them
Works Cited
Andrews, Carly. “21st Century Holocaust.” Aleteia, August 8, 2013. Web. 2 May 2015. http://www.aleteia.org/en/world/article/21st-century-holocaust-3254001?page=2
Bergen, Doris L. The Holocaust: A Concise History. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2009. Print.