As a global problem, xenophobia is one of the issues that have recently attracted attention. In order to see the effects of xenophobia in Europe, it is enough to look at the latest EU election results. The peoples of Continental Europe are also aware of this xenophobia and Syrian asylum seekers who have migrated to Europe in recent years are not the only group suffering from xenophobia. Commemorative museums of Holocaust have been built in various centres around the world so as not to forget the dark blotch left by Nazi Germany. The reason for the construction of these museums was the Holocaust and if these museums deviate from their aims, it may lead to the loss of the importance of the Holocaust. The Holocaust, defined by the concept “genocide” which is a legal term, is a crime against humanity. Therefore, discussing the Holocaust with other events leads to the dilution of its importance. The director of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington states that the Holocaust had been significant not only for European and Jewish history but for all of the humanity and thus, it must be emphasized with this approach. 

Expressing their discomfort in this matter, museum officials said, “The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is strictly against the efforts aiming to compare the Holocaust with other historical or contemporary events." [1]Besides, the museum openly stated that it had been deeply saddening to hurt the Holocaust victims with such comparisons.

The rise of the far-right and Neo-Nazism has been becoming disturbing for Jews living all over the world. Along with anti-Semitism, the comparison of this historical fact with other events can lead to overshadowing the value of the Holocaust. As AVİM, we wrote an article on this topic last year, after Moshe Kantor, President of the European Jewish Congress (EJC), had emphasized that the Holocaust has begun to be forgotten. In this study, we had highlighted that the losing significance of the Holocaust is not only a concern of the USA as well as Europe but all of the world too. [2]

We are pleased to see that this issue has been evaluated objectively following historical facts, after the statements of the Holocaust Memorial Museum officials in Washington. The importance of the Holocaust museum is clear. In line with our criticism of comparing the Holocaust with other events, which overshadows the importance of Holocaust, it is pleasing to see that the recent statements of the museum authorities shall not allow the overshadowing of the Holocaust's seriousness.

Translation: Çağdaş Varol

[1]“Statement Regarding the Museum’s Position on Holocaust Analogies”, avim.org.tr, 9 July 2019, https://avim.org.tr/Blog/STATEMENT-REGARDING-THE-MUSEUM-S-POSITION-ON-HOLOCAUST-ANALOGIES-UNITED-STATES-HOLOCAUST-MEMORIAL-MUSEUM-24-06-2019

[2]“ABD’deki Yahudi Soykırımı Müzesi’nin Sözde Ermeni Soykırımı Anılarını Sergileme Girişimi”, avim.org.tr, 20 March 2019, https://avim.org.tr/tr/Yorum/ABD-DEKI-YAHUDI-SOYKIRIMI-MUZESI-NIN-SOZDE-ERMENI-SOYKIRIMI-ANILARINI-SERGILEME-GIRISIMI