Tackle hate by giving a voice to the persecuted
There’s no question that this has been the start of an exceptionally difficult new school year. Not only are we in the middle of a global pandemic, but our communities have been dealing with challenging issues including systemic racism and online extremism.
We’re seeing the way that hateful ideas lead to real-world violence. The Jewish High Holidays are a time of renewal and celebration, but this year’s festivities were tainted by a number of antisemitic incidents that occurred across Ontario, including private homes sprayed with anti-Jewish graffiti, worshippers spat at and cursed, and a father and son verbally assaulted with the perpetrator attempting to reach into their vehicle.
Anti-Indigenous racism was brought to light once again in a horrific incident just last week. Joyce Echaquan, an Atikamekw woman from Manawan, died tragically in a Quebec hospital, but not before recording vile, racially motivated verbal abuse directed at her by hospital staff.
These incidents come on the heels of the stabbing death of Mohamed-Aslim Zafis, a 58-year-old volunteer caretaker at an Etobicoke mosque. While monitoring entry into his building, he was stabbed by a man who had links to neo-Nazi activity online.
These incidents and the motives behind them are troubling, but not surprising. Perpetrators of these acts seek to silence their targets and inspire fear.
This hate is coming from both extremes of the political spectrum. Whatever the ideological root of the perpetrator, expressions of hatred against any group should be alarming to all Canadians.
Holocaust survivor and post-war Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal once said, “Freedom is not a gift from heaven. You must fight for it every day of your life.” In making this statement, he recognized that our rights and freedoms are fragile and it is all of our responsibility to protect them. One of the ways that we can stand up for the freedoms of others is by listening to their experiences
One of the first steps we can take toward positive change is by providing people who have been silenced by fear and intolerance a platform where they can be heard
History has shown us that times of crisis often lead to an increase in public expressions of anger, fear, and intolerance. But these moments also create opportunities for positive change.
One of the first steps we can take toward that change is by providing people who have been silenced by fear and intolerance a platform where they can be heard. This has been a cornerstone belief in the field of Holocaust education for the past 50 years.
In the wake of the crimes of the Nazi regime, personal stories shared by survivors were a way of asserting the humanity of Jewish people, a way of bearing witness to the lives lost, and a way of preserving historic truth for future generations.
As we move further away from the Holocaust and face a future where students will not be able to speak with survivors directly, we must find innovative ways to keep these stories alive.
Education programs need to engage students in difficult conversations about extremism and systemic racism. The individual stories of people impacted by hatred, the negative impact of racism and other forms of prejudice, help students (and all of us) gain an important perspective on freedom and inclusion.
Moments of crisis and uncertainty are the times when our freedoms are in most danger of slipping away, but they also create the potential for meaningful change.
Educating young people about the importance of diversity and inclusion, and the cost of hate and intolerance, is the first step toward addressing systemic racism and other forms of intolerance head on. FSWC is here to support teachers and remind students of the power for change that exists within each and every one of them.