Standing solemnly on a cold, dark evening I heard the words of the politicians, and maybe if I’d been asked to make a formal speech I too would have reiterated the importance of reflection, reconciliation and reverence. But I had a nagging and growing doubt about the sincerity of the pledges. Attended by a handful of locals, International Holocaust Remembrance Day reflected upon the history of the horrors perpetrated by the Nazi regime in the Second World War, ending in 1945. But the tragic timeline didn’t end there: Cambodia (1975 – 1979), and within this century, Darfur too.
I visited Auschwitz-Birkenau and left with an emotional turmoil I sought to process ─ concluding that if every child visited this place, such inhumanity would never happen again. The strength of this simplistic assertion was tested only a few years later when I was again completely overwhelmed in one of the killing fields a short drive from Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
In emotional solitude at the Remembrance Day, I felt an anger deep inside. The platitudes didn’t dismiss the contemporary commentary of my own Government. Confronted by a Holocaust survivor, Home Secretary Suella Braverman, nonetheless refused to apologise for uttering the words “swarm” and “invasion” when referring to those seeking asylum. Adding to this dehumanising rhetoric Jonathan Gullis, Conservative Member of Parliament for Stoke on Trent, sneered at the truly horrendous news that a significant number of migrant children were missing from a Home Office selected hotel ─ presumed abducted by organised criminal gangs ─ adding, “shouldn’t have come here illegally.”
Is the human race always destined to repeat this barbarism, only to latterly repent without conviction? Are the lower than guttural and gratuitous statements of some of those in power simply an amplification of a latent loathing of folk who aren’t the same as us? If so, we are all potential victims. Surely those who enabled previous genocides were not all demons. The entire populations of those nation states where such atrocities occurred can’t all have been pathological killers.
But in amongst this confusion was a light of optimism, and as I lit a candle I knew that I had to speak further to the young lady who had organised this event, Mihika Chopra – undergraduate law student and Ambassador for the Holocaust Educational Trust. Wishing to discover more about her, the Trust, and my anxieties I merely asked the questions and simply listened intently to a remarkable narrative.
What is the aim of the Holocaust Educational Trust (HET)?
To ensure that people from every background, particularly young people, are educated about the Holocaust and its lessons. HET has a large network of young Ambassadors, creating versatile projects that students interact with, subsequently encouraging them to undertake their own “Next Steps” venture to share learning; they are a direct link to their own communities ─ so we never forget the truth of what happened.
What does your role as Ambassador entail?
Representing HET at events and learning the lessons of the Holocaust. I have had many unique opportunities ─ visiting the Ambassador of Israel to the United Kingdom’s residence to attend a panel discussion hosted by Dov Forman and his great grandmother, Lily Ebert MBE BEM, attending the House of Commons HMD (Holocaust Memorial Day) 2023 reception and talking to the Speaker about the importance of marking HMD within communities. Recently, I was also invited to speak at the JW3 (Jewish Community Centre London) charity’s HMD event to provide perspective on the future of Holocaust education and the importance my generation plays in remembering and learning.
What motivated you to perform such a role?
Primarily my fascination with history. I chose to read it at A-level and this role allows me to educate others, spreading awareness about what we are capable of.
Growing up, I encountered the Holocaust because of the Swastika. As a practising Hindu, the Swastika represents the sun, prosperity, and good luck, and I was angered upon learning of Nazi cultural and religious misappropriation. Having read about the great freedom fighters of India ─ Jawaharlal Nehru, Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, to name a few ─ I’d already questioned the legality, ethicality, and existence of the British Raj. But the Nazis went a step further ─ they stole a part of Hinduism; for Jews, it will never represent anything other than hatred and antisemitism.
I was introduced to The Diary of Anne Frank by my primary school headteacher and I devoured her memoir. It was fascinating, yet simultaneously heart-breaking, to read her book, revel in her frustrations ─ almost become a friend to this diary ─ as it had once been a friend to Anne. My love for history allowed me to delve further; I watched documentaries and period films, read books and articles, and followed cases (The Accountant of Auschwitz, Schindler’s List, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, “The Twins of Auschwitz,” the trial of Johann Rehbogen, and the trial of Oskar Gröning).
In my last year of secondary school, I was appointed Deputy Head Girl, and my focus was a campaign of global awareness ─ encouraging students throughout the school to seek news from multiple sources, aside from social media, in order to be aware of world events. By this time I had undertaken the “Lessons From Auschwitz” online project and written an article for the school paper I founded: The Herschel Journal. This was part of my Next Steps project. I knew that I wanted to get more involved in my role as an Ambassador; I’d seen the difference it made to students to be encouraged by peer published articles to read topics concerning global humanity. Seeing students, peers, and staff reading articles published by the paper, hearing and sparking conversations, further motivated me.
Is the human race destined to repeat the same atrocities?
Examining history alongside the present it appears so. Historic atrocities cannot be erased; some even argue that colonisation was intrinsically genocidal. After the end of the colonialist era, genocide and crimes against humanity continued, and continue to this day ─ from the Armenian genocide, the Pontic genocide, the Holocaust, to the atrocities in Srebrenica and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Rwanda, and Darfur ─ the sheer scale of the international reach of genocide proves that it remains a disastrous part of our world; the ongoing genocide of the Uyhgur population within Xinjiang, reinforces my point.
We don’t recognise some atrocities as ethnic cleansing, blatant racism, and genocidal policies ─ proving that we are destined to continue this trajectory; the Bengal Famine of 1943 was caused by the diversion of vital supplies, by direct order of Winston Churchill, from innocent, malnourished, poverty-stricken displaced peoples, to be stockpiled for British and American troops. Not to mention the forgotten Kashmiri-pandit genocide; the outright and blatant denial of this as an “exodus” remains insulting and painful for millions of Indians. The Partition of India was a mutual genocide ─ brought about by colonialist policies ─ as Imperial Britain washed its hands of the crisis created by dividing Bharat on the basis of two prominent religions. The disruption, death, and displacement caused is yet to be addressed.
Until we recognise all atrocities, including those committed by imperial Britain, we will not be able to move on. Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel said, “those who kept silent yesterday will remain silent tomorrow.” We remain silent in the face of current genocides because we are distanced from them, either through apathy or ignorance, and while this continues we are destined to repeat the same mistakes. Mark Twain is reputed to have said, “history never repeats itself, but it does often rhyme.” Genocide, crimes against humanity, bigotry, hatred, antisemitism, and racism, should be relics of the past, never to be repeated. I’d like to write we are closer to a world in which this is possible; it’s simply not true.
Is evilness a human trait?
Whether evilness is an inherent trait within us all is questionable. We often think of evil manifesting as an abstract concept due to severe provocation. To think of evil as an intrinsic human state would be to condemn humanity to a life sentence of sequential horrors.
I listened to Janine Webber’s testimony, and asked a question: After her experience, does she still have hope ─ her own hope for the future, and that of humanity. Her answer was perhaps what motivates me most as an Ambassador: “Of course I have hope! I think we all have a little hope.” She spoke about breathing fresh air, seeing the sun, and hoping for better in the future and beyond. Evil begins with bigotry and hatred; blissful ignorance descends into uncontrollable disgust and fear. I’d like to think that we can live up to Janine’s hope; I cannot think that evilness is an intrinsic human trait.
In your opinion how were the populations of Germany, Cambodia and Darfur radicalised to perform such acts of barbarism against members of their own communities?
“United we stand. Divided we fall.” Words spoken by Winston Churchill in 1941 and broadcast to Britain. When personalities such as Hitler, Pol Pot, and Omar al-Bashir exploit points of tension already beginning to emerge between different cultures, ethnicities, and races, radicalisation occurs. Through use of postured propaganda, sweeping false generalisations, ultimately binding targeted groups into one identifiable pack, people have been divided. Once division occurs to this extent, so does atrocity and turning a blind eye. We often think of radicalisation as a forceful process, when it’s mostly leaders able to lull their citizens into hating their own; however, whilst recognising the exploitation of societal divisions and tensions, such citizens contribute to their own radicalisation by blindly believing propaganda pumped out by their respective states. We cannot forfeit the duty to be socially and politically aware in a democratic society ─ especially when the state becomes corrupt and attempts to control independent thought. It is our responsibility as citizens to ensure this does not occur.
What of the UK – are some of our politicians seeking to fuel the fundamentals of fascism and division?
Some politicians continue to do what they do best ─ pander to populism. Politicians will do and say outrageous things to make headlines, receive the most clicks on social media, and generate the most traffic on their websites. Political commentators often refer to a “culture war,” and politicians, in seeking re-election and short-term popular success, will fuel this fire and appease whichever “side” supports them.
How do you cope with the often apparent apathy of others?
I attend as many events hosted by HET as possible: museum visits, study days, and the annual Ambassador Conference. It’s refreshing to meet and speak with other young people who are passionate about ensuring historic atrocities are never forgotten, and simultaneously work towards a world in which genocide becomes a relic of the past. By spreading what we have learned we provide a valuable solution to apathy; however, we must bring about global awareness.
My generation likes to preach that it is the most politically and socially aware ever, and by extension, the least apathetic; however, the reach of online newspapers has decreased alarmingly from 47% of adults in 2020, to 38% in 2022. Added to that, 52% of Tik-Tok’s user base for news is aged 16-24, indicating that social media is both radicalising our youth, and making them apathetic towards issues that aren’t deemed important enough to reach the depths of the algorithm. The lack of trust within social media seems to be trumped by the “range of opinions” it offers. Such “opinions” are often riddled with inaccuracies, logical fallacies, and tend to render youth either apathetic and nihilistic, or fiercely radicalised, since they rarely check these posts against reputable news sources. Reducing apathy, and conversely, dangerous radicalisation, will truly come about when apps such as TikTok (incidentally, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance; the communist government no doubt has considerable control over its operation, and algorithm), are not trusted as reputable news sources. We must not blindly accept their “information.”
Apathy exists when political and social awareness is not part of the school curriculum. Education about atrocity should be a compulsory aspect of education. The problem is, the way to become politically and socially aware is not taught and social media steps in.
I created a simple narrative in my own head which concluded that a visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau would create a lasting legacy of positive change. I am beginning to question the validity of this contention. Is there a simple answer?
Unfortunately, not. The prevalence of deep-rooted antisemitism indicates that despite the erection of monuments, the existence of Auschwitz-Birkenau, and the testimonies of survivors of the Holocaust, positive change is yet to occur. We certainly have a long way to go.
Your career trajectory is to become a barrister. Should perpetrators of genocide face the death penalty?
We imagine perpetrators of genocide to be government officials and their armies who scheme and carry out these horrific plans with no qualms. We forget that genocides are systematic and intricately planned ─ mass deportation required complicit train drivers, trans-national communication was required for rail coordination, those standing guard outside the ghettos, the neighbours, friends, and acquaintances who watched in silence as their peers were forced out of their homes, and often to their deaths. Those who remained silent were also perpetrators, as were those who consciously participated in genocide by working for these regimes.
The HET provides a unique perspective within the Lessons From Auschwitz Course, during which I considered the role of perpetrators, alongside the importance of humanising them. They were not acting mindlessly, but with purpose; they had their own interests to protect, whether it be to exploit the war to gain material wealth, or to continue providing for their families. This cannot, and does not, excuse their silence and perpetuation of genocide, but it does remind us that, like victims and survivors, we cannot generalise them into a singular homogenous group.
It is difficult for one human to prescribe death to another; how to set the threshold to be considered worthy of death. The Book of Exodus; 21:23-27 expresses the idea of reciprocal justice, “[an] eye for an eye,” which seems fair; however, Mahatma Gandhi and his non-violent Indian independence movement, also speak sense: “An eye for an eye, and the world goes blind.”
Whilst not all perpetrators are criminal in the eyes of the law, they may be criminals in the eyes of humanity. The law has a principle ─ ignorantia juris non excusat ─ ignorance of the law excuses no one. If someone is unaware that their actions break the law, they are nonetheless liable. Ergo, it seems just that all crimes have punishments equal to the performance of them.
As I reflect upon the sage commentary of my guide Mihika I still feel an immense sense of bewilderment. How can humankind turn against their own with such violence and duty? How can our conscience be betrayed by the calls of the corrupt? Our wonderfully advanced cognitive capabilities create exquisite cultures and technologies taking us to places beyond our wildest dreams; however, my chilling realisation was that those same incredible capabilities can be cruelly manipulated by the lies of those who profess to represent our best interests. Despite my earlier assertion that a visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau would fundamentally change hearts and minds, there is probably a more convenient and persuasive influence – talking to a Holocaust Educational Trust Ambassador.
Thank you Mihika.
© Ian Kirke 2023 & all photographs
@ianjkirke