Comparison of Sudan to Nazi Germany

Human rights can be defined as "rights that belong to an individual or group of individuals as a consequence of being human (Britannica.com)". The United Nations specifically defines human rights as enjoying freedom of speech and belief, and freedom from fear and want (UN.org). When human rights are violated it leads to bloodshed and war, but also elements of people's willingness to not give up, to not let it break them. These capabilities exemplify themselves in the past, the Holocaust, and the present, the Sudan. There was and still is a world responsibility to not let these atrocities continue to happen, especially since the pattern followed is repeating itself in the Sudan.

When Hitler came to power in 1933, the Germans found a scapegoat in the Jews. Hitler started his entire dictorial campaign by violating human rights, and it continued throughout the war. After the Reichstag fire in March of 1933, Hitler decreed and suspended freedom of assembly and expression. He authorized these suspensions allowing wiretaps and opening of mail, sanctioning searches, and indefinite detentions without warrants. He harassed members of the Reichstag if they did not agree with his policies. The SA and SS carried out these policies. They became so powerful that after awhile they no longer needed authorization (Burleigh 151-52). Hitler finally declared himself dictator and then took over the judicial system. "Notions of equality before the law were replaced by a system of legal apartheid (Burleigh 165)". For example certain crimes that did not receive the death penalty before, were now added to the list, and certain peoples' punishments for other crimes nonexistent (Burleigh 164-165). In Hitler's regime justice did not prevail. In 1933, the Against Dangerous Habitual Criminals and Measures for their Detention and Improvement passed. It "fused retribution for actual crime with the prior right of the 'natural community' to be protected from potential offenders (Burleigh 166)". This law allowed Hitler and his police to deem people as political offenders, and give them extra sentences as a result. Sentences were added to those "whose lifestyle was regarded as unacceptable (Burleigh 166)". Hitler then adapted his wrath to include the Jews. His first course of action was the passage of the Nuremburg Laws. Jews forced from normal places of life, and also forced to wear yellow stars identifying themselves as Jews. The Nazi government portrayed as evil, so a boycott of Jewish products instituted. The Nazi policy attacked and interviewed a senior judge because his wife shopped in Jewish stores (Burleigh 170).

These violations of human rights led to bloodshed and war. Not only were Jews terrorized, but political opponents, churchmen, communists, and homosexuals as well. The Nazis gloated daily over suicide lists (Gilbert 54). For example, a court found that two Jews who had been killed by Kurt Baer had 'definitely committed suicide', and Baer was found guilty of breaching the peace (Gilbert 44). On November 9, 1938 a most terrible act occurred. That was the night of Kristal Nacht. Bonfires were set in every neighborhood, and thousands of Jews beaten up. In those 24 hours, 91 Jews killed, and more than 31 thousand arrested and sent to concentration camps (Gilbert 69). There were daily tortures after that night. The Nazis demonstrated their power by committing mass killings. In September and October of 1939 five thousand Jews killed (Gilbert 99). It was during this time period that Britain and France declared war. The Nazis then built ghettos in every major city in Poland. In these ghettos, especially the Warsaw ghetto, the Jews starved (Gilbert 109). When it turned colder, many froze to death because there were not enough living spaces for everyone. The Germans created technology to kill millions of people. The mass extermination started with killing the Jews over trenches, then gas vans, and finally gas chambers at the concentration camps. Jews would be deported to the ghettos, and then from the ghettos directly to the places of death (Gilbert). The Nazis committed horrible acts in these places, especially against women. The Nazis raped women examined them in order to try and retrieve jewelry that they thought women were hiding. They made young ladies dance and sing in the nude (Gilbert). In the ghettos and everywhere, there continued killings and abuse against the Jewish people.

Some Jewish people did not give up hope, their spirits rose to the occasion. They resisted Nazi tactics. Some people killed Polish and German police officers. Suicide was considered resistance because it did not give the Nazis the opportunity to torture to their death. Labor cards were cards that the Nazis allowed the Jewish Council of each ghetto to hand out so that a work force could be created. Those who did not have labor cards were automatically killed. These labor cards were used to protect as many Jewish people as possible (Gilbert). To lift their spirits even more, the Jews in the ghettos put on musical concerts and art festivals. They celebrated child's day to give the children hope and joy (Gilbert 331-32). The Jews hoped that as each day dawned they would be rescued from their plight. This was what kept them going.

The country of Sudan is going through similar human rights abuses. In 1983, a religious coup toppled the government, and instituted a unified Islamic state. Another coup occurred in 1985 toppling dictator Nimui. Civilian democracy, headed up by Sadiq El Mahdi, was in effect until 1989 when it too was toppled. The government is now headed up by Bashir and Turali (Loblan). This latest government instituted state torture policies. The government perpetuated many violations such as extra judicial killings, torturing, enslaving the people of Sudan, ethnic cleansing, confiscating property, arresting arbitrarily (El-tigami). Mostly women are bought and sold into slavery (Davis).

The bloodshed and war that the Sudan is going through relates to the human rights violations that the government committed. Some examples of bloodshed and war, people burning villages, stealing cattle and human beings, and destroying food grains (Lesch). Since 1983, two million Sudanese died, four million southern Sudanese displaced, and three million suffering from starvation (Davis). In one account, someone was severely beaten and ridiculed then made to sleep outside with the animals (Davis). The government also had "ghost houses", where dissenters are detained. People in these ghost houses whipped and clubbed, electrically shocked, kicked in the ribs, hands bound, blindfolded, their hands immersed in boiling hot water, suspended from ceiling fans, psychologically tortured, and executed for pretend (El-Tigani). There are also unhealthy living conditions causing many diseases, and inadequate food and toilet facilities (El-Tigani). Just like in the Holocaust the Sudanese people are under extreme pressure from the government, as well as torture tactics by the government. Even under this extreme pressure, the Sudanese people bear their sufferings with fortitude. They manage to keep their self- respect. They also get by from the fact that they can share their faith (Ramsay).

In both of these cases, the outside world has been uninvolved in these human rights violations. In pre-war days of World War II, the western countries of Britain, France, and United States remained neutral allowing Hitler free reign of European affairs. Britain's Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain assumed that if he conceded then Hitler would also concede (Gilbert & Large 292). France remained neutral because Britain remained neutral. Together they faced alternatives of opposition by force and negotiation. Appeasement began (Gilbert & Large 298). The democracies inability to decide what to do gave Hitler free reign of "aggressive expansionist foreign policy" (Gilbert & Large 304). Until Hitler invaded Poland the democracies did nothing but weakly protest. The United States was no better at stopping Hitler. The Americans embraced isolationism (Norton et al 743). They did not want to face Hitler's problems for the Europeans (Norton et al 743). President Roosevelt signed a series of neutrality acts preventing money and arms to be sent over to Europe (Norton et al 744). The United States remained neutral even after Europe declared war. In the case of Sudan, the involvement has been the same. Few people are aware of the tragedy. Politicians sat they will help, but nothing happens except when famine strikes (Ramsay). The Sudanese people want the world to do something about their conflict (Davis). The United States government failed too many times to get companies and corporations to get way from situations where they add to human rights violations (Davis).

These two conflicts are similar in nature. They both experienced human rights violations that were horrible. They both experienced bloodshed and war as a direct result of those violations. They both kept their spirits up during the conflict. Finally, they both have not experienced help in those human rights violations.

Bibliography Page

Burleigh, Michael. The Third Reich A New History. New York: Hill and Wang, 2000

Davis, Kimberly. The Truth About Slavery in Sudan. Ebony. August 2001, Vol. 56, Issue 10, Pg 37.

El-Tigani, Mahgoub. Sobring the Crises of Sudan: The Right of Self-Determination Versus State Torture. Arab Studies Quarterly, Spring 2001, Vol 23, Issue 2, Pg. 41.

Fleuhr- Loblan, Carolyn and Richard Loblan. The Sudan Since 1989: National Islamic Front Rule. Arab Studies Quarterly, Spring 2001, Vol. 23, Issue 2, Pg 1

Gilbert, Felix and David Clay Large. The End of the European Era, 1890 to the Present. New York: WW and Nortron and Co, 1991

Gilbert, Martin. The Holocaust, A History of the Jews of Europe During the Second World War. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1985.

Lesch, Ann M. The Impasse in the Civil War. Arab Studies Quarterly, Spring 2001, Vol. 23, Issue 2, Pg 11,

Norton, Mary Beth et al. A People and a Nation Volume 2: Since 1865. 6^th Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2001.

Ramsay, Allan. Sudan: Past and Present. Contemporary Review, November 2000, Vol. 277, Issue 1618, Pg 297.

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