AS THE spring semester comes to a close and things wrap up around Grounds, we often become so busy with our own lives that we forget to give serious consideration to events going on outside of our own community. It's ironic that, during these last few weeks when we are inundated with papers and exams, we can neglect to think critically about what's going on around us -- something that we are taught to do for our entire careers as students. However, there are two events coming up in the next few weeks that caution us of the dangers we face in being so reclusive, even for just a short time: Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, occurs on May 6, and just two days later is the sixtieth anniversary of V-E Day, which commemorates the German surrender to the Allied powers in World War II.
These commemorations are significant because they allow us to rededicate ourselves to never letting such atrocities happen again. After watching the genocide that Slobodan Milosevic carried out against ethnic Albanians in Yugoslavia and the Sudanese genocide in Darfur, there is a sense that all ethnic minorities are at risk. We are also left with a feeling that, as global citizens, we did not learn all that there is to learn from the Holocaust; we too often sit idly while our governments fail to take action against the perpetrators of such evils. We have already been too late on numerous occasions. Are we going to let more than six million die again before we intervene?
It is commonly said among Holocaust survivors and Jews: "Never again." Keeping the memory alive is important for future generations, as Holocaust survivors and World War II veterans are dying each month by the thousands. Especially after Sept. 11, we are faced with a world where it is normal that there are heightened tensions and suspicions among people of different ethnicities. The current situation between the Israelis and Palestinians has also sparked more passionate feelings of anti-Semitism in the Muslim community, as well as anti-Muslim sentiment among Jews.
It is important to remember that Adolf Hitler never surrendered his cause when he committed suicide; it was simply a way for him to get around doing so. And frighteningly, his cause still lives on. Participation in neo-Nazi groups around Europe is at an all-time high, approximated to be over 120,000 by Human Rights Watch. Growing interest in Hitler's "final solution" has sparked much concern among human rights activists and Jews worldwide. In April, for instance, Hitler's autobiography, "Mein Kampf," became a best-selling novel in Turkey. According to Remzi and D&R, the two largest Turkish bookstore chains, "Mein Kampf" ranked in their top ten best-sellers list for the month of April.
Scholars have also attributed this recent fascination with Hitler among Turks to a rising tide of anti-Americanism following America's invasion of Iraq. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that another book featured on the Turkish best-seller list is "a gory thriller that depicts a United States invasion of Turkey. The hero, a Turkish spy whose training includes shooting his own puppy, avenges his homeland by leveling Washington with a nuclear device."
The lessons of history have taught us that it's best to deal with this type of sentiment before it develops into a firestorm. For Americans, this entails bettering our image in the Islamic world. It is necessary that the United States improve its relations with leaders of Arab nations, who in large part view the United States and Israel as colluding against them, if we truly desire that anti-American sentiment be eradicated. This has not been one of the Bush administration's fortes. It also requires that our government be more sensitive to human rights issues worldwide, and not wait until the last minute to provide assistance. For Israelis and Jews around the world, it entails constantly repeating the message, "Never again," and realizing their special obligation to rally for direct action to be taken against the perpetrators of such atrocities before it is too late.
So this spring, while you're feverishly finishing exams and papers, take a moment to think about what happened in Europe 60 years ago, what's happening in Sudan now and what it would take for it to escalate into a situation like the Holocaust. This doesn't have to be the world we live in, if we take the duty to remember upon ourselves and emphasize its importance to others, of all ages and ethnicities.
Todd Rosenbaum's column appears Thursdays in the Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at trosenbaum@cavalierdaily.com.
Read More
GARVIE: Commend the University’s continuous care for the environment
By Adeline Garvie | YesterdayWe must applaud the University for the efforts they are continuously making to be more sustainable.
CARTER: Did anyone actually want VERVE?
By Nathaniel Carter | April 19, 2025While VERVE may shift student demand closer to Grounds, whether housing market effects will outweigh the harms of the University’s expanding presence is a gamble Charlottesville residents may not wish to take.
SCHENBERG: Our foreign students and colleagues deserve better
April 18, 2025I pray that we will not persecute now and atone later.
