Never again ... again

Editorial

It is an old adage that says those who do not remember history are condemned to repeat it. But there is an alarming wrinkle to this truism. There is evidence that, even with those who remember history, humanity is not immune from repetition.

The world has had six decades to assimilate the many lessons of the Holocaust. While the Holocaust is so fundamental a breach in humanity that it raises unanswerable questions, there are certain messages that cannot be missed. Primary among these is the promise "Never again."

After the catastrophe of the Holocaust, Jews and others dedicated themselves to ensuring that such a deliberate humanitarian disaster could never take place again. To say this is a universal imperative is an understatement. The very idea that this promise – to stand against genocide wherever and whenever it might emerge or threaten – would require reinforcement and defence should be unthinkable.

But genocide is threatening. It is a sword dangling over the heads of millions of Darfurians in western Sudan. If this does not strike contemporary observers as unique or alarming, it may be due to the reality that we recently have witnessed genocide or genocidal intent in places including Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda and elsewhere. We failed as a civilization in each of these cases – allowing murderous behavior to go unchecked.

Last week, more than 90 British Columbian survivors of the Holocaust gathered at the legislature in Victoria to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day, Yom Hashoah. It was a moving and heartfelt tribute to the survivors, a memorial to the millions lost and a statement of vigilance against hate and violence everywhere.

But on Sunday, in Vancouver and around the world, people came together to raise awareness of the latest threat to civilization – in Darfur. Here at the Vancouver Art Gallery, the turnout was mediocre. While media seem to be turning their sights, finally, in a serious way to the violence and dangers in Darfur, we are still awaiting the groundswell of popular demand for action to save the lives of millions of endangered people.

There is a reason why Jews are at the forefront of the movement for Darfur. The fate of Darfurians and other threatened peoples speaks directly to the historical experience of the Jewish people. Jews promised after the Shoah to never forget and to ensure the certainty that "Never again" becomes a practical reality. We did not mean never again only as it pertains to Jews. We meant never again as it pertains to humanity.

The Jewish community – particularly in Canada – can feel a sense of pride in the efforts undertaken on behalf of Darfurians. But we cannot rest. Though peace talks continue this week, the dangers remain no less urgent.

The parallels between the Darfurian people and the historical experience of the Jews was on the minds of the Holocaust survivors in Victoria last week, as well as the large group of politicians who joined them in the grand foyer of the provincial legislature. The elected officials in the B.C. legislature, as well as in other legislatures and the Parliament of Canada, wore green ribbons as a statement of solidarity and concern for Darfur.

It may be that, after years of conflict in that troubled area, hundreds of thousands of deaths, innumerable rapes and a generalized abandonment of humanity, the world is finally turning its attentions to this most pressing of international conflicts.

The last week has been a good start. There is clearly much that remains to be done, not only in protecting the Darfurian people from the atrocities of the Sudanese government and their janjaweed militia collaborators, but to begin restoring the infrastructure of ordinary life should peace be attained.

Canada has helped lead the world in drawing awareness to this issue. Jewish Canadians have been at the fore. We cannot afford to let up now.

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