Genocide: The Holocaust v. Darfur

Back in 1933, before World War II, Adolf Hitler took power in Germany. Starting with mere boycotts of Jewish products, he rose to power and started the Holocaust, one of the world's darkest moments in history. Hitler committed mass genocide. Genocide is defined as the systematic and planned extermination of an entire national, racial, political, or ethnic group. A main target of Hitler's genocide were the Jewish people. Although not the only group, they were the largest part of the "ethnic cleansing", as some would say it. Much like the Gestapo in the Holocaust, the Janjaweed party, an Arabic party, goes to villages massacring the people within.

Already, in only 2 years, 300,000 people have been estimated to be dead. In the Holocaust, in the first 2 years, there were very few deaths. The boycotts against Jewish businesses were prominent in the first two years, but the mass killing was not until later. If the genocide in Darfur continues at this rate, and nothing is halted or stopped, then it could be as bad, or worse than the Holocaust. The Janjaweed could kill millions and millions of people in 12 years.

However, the Holocaust does have its differences from the genocide in Darfur.

In the Holocaust, there were concentration camps where the Jewish people were held until they were killed, whether their death was by gas chambers or butchered for experiments. However, similar to the concentration camps of the Holocaust are the "Displaced Persons" Camps where the Janjaweed store the "displaced persons" until they are killed. In Darfur, the Janjaweed are entering homes forcefully and ordering family members to kill each other. Eventually by this process, entire villages are dead in a very short time. This is similar, but not exactly like the mobile killing squads of the Holocaust. The mobile killing squads were groups of Einsatzgruppen, a group of Nazi units and police rode in cars massacring Jews in their homes.

Also in Darfur, all who aren't slaughtered are strucken by poverty and famine. Prices have sky rocketed for everyone, and it is very difficult to live. Sanitation is very poor, and education is failing. Without humanitarian efforts, everybody, not only the targets of the will face certain death, as they already are.

Hitler v. Bashir

In the Holocaust, Adolf Hitler came to power as a dictator in 1933. He ruled Germany for five or six years, gaining a firm grip on Germany before the Holocaust. Omar al-Bashir has been dictator of Sudan for seventeen years, and much like Hitler, did not begin his genocide until he had a firm grip on the country. Both are leaders of parties that slaughtered many. Hitler had the Nazis and Gestapo, and Bashir has the Janjaweed.

They did have some differences though.

Whereas Hitler was blatant about his hatred of Jews and need to kill them, Bashir has signed a peace treaty. However, the peace treaty did barely anything, as the Janjaweed are still killing, burning, and raping. Bashir has also previously kept a peaceful stance on many other topics. Hitler lead his army directly, whereas Bashir supports the Janjaweed, rather than giving them orders.

By Connor D.

This page was updated 5/31/06, Percy Julian Middle School