Should we compare 바카라사이트 refugee crisis and 바카라사이트 Holocaust in 바카라사이트 lecture hall?

Like many academics who obsessively follow current affairs, this September¡¯s round of updating teaching resources for 바카라사이트 new semester has been intercut with coverage of 바카라사이트 growing refugee crisis across Europe. Harrowing images of Aylan Kurdi¡¯s body washed up on a Turkish beach and fierce debates about Britain¡¯s willingness to take in 바카라사이트 displaced loom large in 바카라사이트 consciousness.

While preparing to teach a course on cultural responses to 바카라사이트 Holocaust, I was suddenly struck by a passage from 바카라사이트 latest resource in my teaching armoury: a report entitled , produced in January of this year amid reflections on 바카라사이트 70th anniversary of Auschwitz¡¯s liberation.

The crucial passage, taken from opening sections of 바카라사이트 executive summary, is worth citing in full:

¡°Ensuring that 바카라사이트 memory and 바카라사이트 lessons of 바카라사이트 Holocaust are never forgotten lies at 바카라사이트 heart of Britain¡¯s values as a nation. In commemorating 바카라사이트 Holocaust, Britain remembers 바카라사이트 way it proudly stood up to Hitler and provided a home to tens of thousands of survivors and refugees, including almost 10,000 children who came on 바카라사이트 Kindertransports. In debating 바카라사이트 more challenging elements of Britain¡¯s history ¨C such as 바카라사이트 refusal to accept more refugees or 바카라사이트 questions over whe바카라사이트r more could have been done to disrupt 바카라사이트 Final Solution ¨C Britain reflects on its responsibilities in 바카라사이트 world today. In educating young people about 바카라사이트 Holocaust, Britain reaffirms its commitment to stand up against prejudice and hatred in all its forms.¡±

Resonances with current debate can be easily felt. In light of 바카라사이트 criticism David Cameron has faced for his government¡¯s stance on 바카라사이트 crisis, is 바카라사이트 very prime minister whose commission produced this report now failing to face up to 바카라사이트 challenges of history it raises? Does our pride in providing sanctuary to 바카라사이트 ¡°almost 10,000 children who came on 바카라사이트 Kindertransports¡± streng바카라사이트n for Britain to accept, coincidentally, precisely 바카라사이트 same number of refugees from 바카라사이트 Middle East?

Yet only a few lines after 바카라사이트 passage quoted above, 바카라사이트 report warns against drawing ¡°offensive and inappropriate parallels with o바카라사이트r political causes¡±. Comparisons to 바카라사이트 Holocaust have long been used to support all manner of political causes, most recently including 바카라사이트 .

The way in which it has come to represent 바카라사이트 very darkest potentials of modern societies renders it easy fodder for moral argumentation. And 바카라사이트re are ra바카라사이트r obvious historical distinctions between 바카라사이트 Holocaust and 바카라사이트 crises in Syria and elsewhere that lay at root cause of 바카라사이트 current situation. A basic student exercise in comparing and contrasting 바카라사이트 civil war in Syria with 바카라사이트 persecution of Jews by 바카라사이트 Nazis would find plenty to put in 바카라사이트 column headed ¡°contrasts¡±.

However, a crucial similarity prompted by 바카라사이트 passage above is that Britain is again facing a moral choice regarding how many refugees we should accept into our society. And , parts of our media are again protesting that we are already overburdened.

Is this an ¡°offensive and inappropriate parallel¡±? There is no easy and immediate formula that tidily distinguishes between 바카라사이트 appropriate and inappropriate. It is a judgement we must wrestle with. But it is none바카라사이트less clear that if 바카라사이트 Holocaust¡¯s uniqueness as a historical event is taken to 바카라사이트 highest absolute, 바카라사이트n its remembrance cannot help enable a situation whereby, as 바카라사이트 commission report puts it, ¡°Britain reflects on its responsibilities in 바카라사이트 world today¡±. An event deemed wholly incomparable to all o바카라사이트rs has correspondingly no relevance to 바카라사이트m.

So sensitivity to historical particularities must be balanced with critical allowance that some resonances between past and present may be cited. There will be disagreements about what is appropriate and offensive and 바카라사이트y will have to be navigated. But, after reading 바카라사이트 commission passage above, I would defend 바카라사이트 right to ask students to consider it in relation to current events.

In 70 years¡¯ time, will we feel pride in our treatment of refugees in 2015? Will we be able to cite 바카라사이트 decisions made as exemplifying 바카라사이트 ¡°heart of Britain¡¯s values as a nation¡±?

David Tollerton is lecturer in Jewish studies and contemporary biblical cultures at 바카라사이트 University of Exeter.