Shattering Mystification The Holocaust and the Rwandan Genocide
In his pursuit to argue the uniqueness of the Holocaust while stating that there are obvious parallels to it, Yehuda Bauer attempts to dispute the notion of the mystification of the Holocaust. In his 1978 essay, before the Rwandan genocide occurred, Bauer wrote, “Not to realize that the Jewish situation was unique is to mystify history. On the other hand, to declare that there are no parallels, and that the whole phenomenon is inexplicable is equally a mystification” (Bauer 36). The Rwandan genocide both complicates and supports Bauer’s distinction between the Holocaust and other genocides. Therefore, Bauer should revise his argument because while he claims that there are parallels to the Holocaust, he argues that the Holocaust is unique in it’s intent of the perpetrators to completely exterminate the victim group. But there is much evidence in support of the Rwandan genocide and the Hutus intention to kill every single Tutsi man, woman and child. There are many similarities between the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide that complicate Bauer’s distinction. ... The last major similarity between the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide is the role that the West played in each incident. ... They provided very little direct support in the Rwandan genocide and even less during the Holocaust. ... It was painfully obvious that the UN did not prioritize the Rwandan genocide and did not think it was that great 2 of an issue. “What happened in Rwanda showed that despite the creation of an organization set up to prevent a repetition of genocide- for the UN is central to this task- it failed to do so, even when the evidence was indisputable” (Melvern 5). The West ignored what was happening in Nazi-controlled Germany and Rwanda and in turn that neglect aided the perpetrator’s cause to kill all of their victims because no one tried to put an end to the genocide. Aside from the similarities between the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide, there are also differences that support Bauer’s distinction between the two.