Why Holocaust Commemorations Are Double-Edged - Essay Example

Memory of the Holocaust Introduction The 70th anniversary of the emancipation of the villainous Auschwitz concentration camp was marked on 27th January, which is the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, with over 300 survivors of the holocaust laying garlands and lighting candles on the alleged wall of death. The memorial marks the liberation of the Jews from the camp as well as in remembrance of those who never made it. Global leaders used this opportunity to draw attention to the significance of successful diplomacy in protecting human rights. The State of Israel is always the centre of global focus during this annual event and it uses the opportunity to assert its existence and the need to protect the nation from external aggression, mainly from the neighboring Arab communities. There are many arguments for and against commemoration of the Holocaust. Some people feel that the history should not be forgotten. Others argue that the memory of the Holocaust is used to foster divides in Europe and should be forgotten. Memory of the Holocaust Jews commemorate the Holocaust as part of their history reflecting the suffering they endured in Europe under the Nazi Germany. The global event is seen as a remembrance that not only acts as a lesson and a caution against human rights violation but also as a direction towards the right course for humanity as a whole. By virtue of it being an important lesson for humanity, it should not be forgotten. Generations will come and learn through the mistakes that the world made in the past and ensure that they do not reoccur. The Holocaust formed the foundation of the United Nations, which was an international organization viewed by all nations globally as the centre of hope for humanity and the future. Remembering the Holocaust promotes a shared resolve among nations to prevent such terror from ever happening anywhere else in the world. The commemoration represents an unmistakable resolution of nations, focused at appreciating that if nations identify with the ideals they protect, they can be preserved (Lecomte, 2006). A national day of the liberation of Auschwitz is observed in Germany when the victims of state socialism are also remembered. For the survivors, the events of Auschwitz still linger in their minds. Those whose loved ones were killed in the concentration camps still visit the sites where these camps were located in Poland and they have a right to remember, reflect and narrate the occurrences over and over again to younger people who need to understand the past events that shaped the global relations that exist today. A society needs to learn from past mistakes to be in a better position to face future challenges. The future of Europe is founded on global peace and cooperation but forgetting past catastrophes and conflicts may not be the right thing to do. This assertion is repeated year after year during the annual holocaust commemoration in Europe. Leaders in the European Parliament recognize the intensity of the holocaust in shaping the history of humanity. Globally, questions are still unanswered as to what could have caused human beings to act in the way that they did against others during the holocaust (Herf, 2009). The holocaust history reminds people regarding the nature of humanity, the extent to which people can reach in causing pain and destruction, emergence from the dark past, resilience and the ability to regain hope, forgive and reconcile. These are the fundamentals of European relations that are entrenched in commemorating the holocaust (Gerstenfeld, 2009). Apart from remembering the victims, holocaust commemoration also includes honoring many Europeans who helped many vulnerable Jews to escape the manslaughter. They represent the other side of Europeans who value human dignity and the sanctity of life. Honoring rescuers illustrates that the suffering of Jews under the Nazi regime was not a collective European or German position but that of Adolf Hitler and his supporters at the time. Raoul Wallenberg is a revered Swedish envoy that saved many Hungarian Jews but whose life ended mysteriously after his arrest and deportation after the end of the Second World War by the Soviets. The lowest moments in the history of humanity need to be commemorated, to make certain that the terrors of that period do not haunt people in future (Levy and Sznaider, 2005). The politics of holocaust remembrance in Europe continue to foster divides in Europe. They are based on three divides based on the role played during the tragedy. Inconsistent and divergent national accounts are entrenched in the commemoration of the holocaust and the history of Second World War. There lacks a widely accepted European master account of the holocaust among members of the Council of Europe. Some of the aspects of the crimes against humanity by the Nazi are emphasized to the disadvantage of some members of the council. The perpetrator’s point of view is inferior in the council’s efforts to develop a narrative of the holocaust, which undermines the guilt that Germany had internalized soon after the fall of the Nazi regime (Herf, 2009). The victim’s perspective on the other hand is hijacked through inclusion as holocaust of other atrocities committed by the Nazi regime on non-Jews thereby eroding the real meaning of holocaust commemoration to the Jews. Austria specifically claims to have been the first victim of the Nazi rather than acting as an ally to the perpetrator. The bystander’s perspective may not be favorable to the council as it expects all the modern Europeans to take the blame for the atrocities committed against the Jews. This viewpoint continues to build up during annual commemorations without any of the European Council members being pin-pointed with regards to owning up the holocaust (Hilberg, 2006). During the commemorations, the retrospective avoids mentioning the architects, associates and the cheerful supporters of the holocaust, which is far from the ideal demonstration of remorse. The rescuer’s viewpoint has recently gained recognition in the commemorations but the political implications are awkward with regards to the supposedly apolitical conduct of the blameless among the states for modern egalitarian citizenship. Commemoration of the holocaust is not the subject of concern. Rather, it is the manner in which the European nation especially the youth are motivated to commemorate and learn from the history of the holocaust and the horrible crimes committed against the Jews by Germans, Austrians as well as other European associates (Herf, 2009). The separate commemoration of the holocaust among the Jews detaches the event from the other major tragedies that have affected the Jewish people in the past and the Rabbis are of the opinion that the holocaust should be one of them. This would undermine the role of Europe from playing a role in the annual event as it will turn it in to a Jewish rather than a global affair. Moreover, proponents of the commemoration view it as a constant reminder of the pain and suffering that the Jewish people experienced in Europe hence preventing them from forgiving and forgetting (Lecomte, 2006). Conclusion Holocaust commemoration in Europe is double edged. They are useful in helping to foster unity and cohesion among global communities as people especially the younger generation are able to learn from past mistakes. On the other hand, the politics of commemoration continue to generate divides in Europe with the perspectives of the perpetrator, victim, bystander and the rescuer causing indifference depending on the category that each member of the European Council belongs. The commemoration should be forgotten in Europe and be entrenched among other Jewish tragedies. References 1. Gerstenfeld Manfred, 2009. The Abuse of Holocaust Memory: Distortions and Responses. Jerusalem: Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs/Anti-Defamation League. 2. Herf Jeffrey, 2009. “Legacies of Divided Memory for German Debates about the Holocaust in the 1990s.” German Politics and Society 52(17): 9-34. 3. Hilberg Raul, 2006. Perpetrators, Victims, Bystanders: The Jewish Catastrophe 1933-1945. New York, NY: Aaron Asher Books. 4. Lecomte Jean-Michel, 2006. Teaching about the Holocaust in the 21st Century. Strasbourg: Council of Europe. 5. Levy Daniel and Sznaider Natan, 2005. The Holocaust and Memory in the Global Age. 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