There is no amount of reasoning that can conceptualize, or justify any form of genocide, either unintentional, or systematic. Individuals should learn how to rise above the degradation, and the skewing of ethics, and the absence of critical reflection. As a community of citizens, we should learn how to relentlessly preserve ourselves from destruction and human suffering; we owe these acts of civility to each other. Clearly, German leadership failed in protecting its own and Europe’s Jewish citizens from genocide. The holocaust didn’t just affect Jews, disabled people and other victims, but it affected the Germans themselves, more than anyone else, because Jews were deeply integrated in each aspect of German life, economy, and politics.
After a touching visit to the Holocaust Museum on the Holocaust Remembrance Day, January 27th, I was reminded that we humans are not learning from the atrocities committed towards each other. When we consider the degenerative acts of the Armenian Genocide, the Holocaust, Darfur, Rwanda, Bosnia, Somalia, or Cambodia, humans are impenitent. The question then becomes how do we understand human minds that justified the Holocaust and other Genocides through history? How do we prevent it from happening again, to anyone? “Never again” should it happen to Jews, or to any other people group in the world.
As I was reflecting on my way down to the Holocaust museum, I wondered why a museum would be established to memorialize the persecuted generations. The displays and the narratives remind the world about the suffering and death that happened during that period. However, we owe a tribute to those who suffered this degradation of humanity. The motivation to view the reminders of the experience should focus on the process of redemption, forgiveness and reconciliation between the Germans and the Jews, or other denigrated people groups. We should shed light on those experiences as well. Future generations should learn how to cope; they should not repeat the same mistakes. Humanity needs to learn how to heal properly. I didn’t sense that healing process happening, despite the six decades have passed. German, Jews, persecutors and victims around the world may be interested in my proposed approach towards reconciliation. Instead of recounting history, or displaying facts, we also should talk about reasons, redemption, and forgiveness. Only then would the museum experience become a true learning experience for everyone. Otherwise, facts will overwhelm each other, and then be misrepresented. For example, the guide erroneously pointed to the Pope as a guilty party, where in fact Pius XII saved more than 860,000 Jews by smuggling them out.
Since viewing the Holocaust museum display, I relentlessly processed through the experiences of human suffering with both my mind and my soul. Again, I am grateful for the chance to deepen my compassionate stance towards all victims who are inflicted. As I read through one of the biographies of the police officers I was reminded about the plights of Simon Wiesenthal a holocaust survivor himself who then became one of the most famous Nazi Hunters. It is crucial to hold leaders accountable towards the atrocities they have committed. The Nuremburg Trials were key to bringing Justice post WWII. But recent examples of Nazi hunt-downs of 80-90-year-old guards, and Israel still arresting Nazi war criminals proves my point. I urge Germany and Israel to setup an international series of conferences and processes to facilitate initiatives of redemption, forgiveness, and reconciliation. People today will benefit first hand from that, to avoid the deepening of systematic mass killings in Nigeria, Syria, and Iraq. These mediations will promote healing and understanding towards tolerance, respect, dignity and living in God’s image. Let me be the first to ask for forgiveness for my fellow humans who experienced genocides. Healing has to start somewhere. Will you join me in a spirit of repentance?