UkuQothulwa Kwesizwe—Ingabe Izisulu Noma Abafel’ Ukholo?

KUNGANI kwenziwa umehluko phakathi kwezisulu nabafel’ ukholo? Ngoba bonke labo abahlupheka ngenxa yokuQothulwa Kwesizwe babeyizisulu, kodwa abambalwa kuphela ababengabafel’ ukholo bangempela ngomqondo ophelele walelogama. Uyini umehluko?

Isisulu “umuntu obulawayo noma ohlushwa omunye.” Izisulu ngokuvamile azinakho ukuzikhethela.

Umfel’ ukholo “umuntu okhetha ukufa kunokuba alahle izimiso ezingokwenkolo” noma “umuntu odela okuthile okubaluleke kakhulu kuye ukuze aqhubekisele phambili inkolelo, akusekelayo, noma isimiso.” (The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language) Ngakho-ke, isisulu ngokuvamile asizikhetheli, kanti umfel’ ukholo uyazikhethela.

Izinhlobo Ezintathu Zezisulu

Emhlanganweni omayelana nezisulu zamaNazi ezingemaJuda, uDkt. Gordon Zahn, eYunivesithi yaseMassachusetts, wachaza izisulu zamaNazi ngaphansi kwezihloko ezintathu: (1) labo abahlupheka ngenxa yalokho ababeyikho—amaJuda, amaSlav, amaGypsy; (2) labo abahlupheka ngenxa yalokho abakwenza—ongqingili, abashisekela ezombangazwe, nabaphikisayo; (3) nalabo abahlupheka ngenxa yalokho abenqaba ukukwenza abenqaba ngenxa kanembeza, oFakazi BakaJehova, nabanye.

Izigidi zamaJuda zahlupheka futhi zafa ngenxa nje yokuthi zazingamaJuda ngomqondo wobuhlanga. Kubangane bakaHitler abathembekile kwakungenandaba ukuthi amaJuda ayengamaOrthodox noma ayengakholelwa kuNkulunkulu. Ayelahlelwe “ikhambi lokugcina,” noma ukubulawa, njengoba inqubo kaHitler yokuqeda wonke amaJuda eYurophu yayibizwa kanjalo. Ngokufanayo, amaSlav, lawo ngenxa yempi yenkolo kaHitler ngokuyinhloko ayengabantu basePoland, amaRashiya, namaUkrainian, alahlwa ngenxa nje yokuba amaSlav, ‘uhlanga oluphansi’ uma kuqhathaniswa nenzalo yama-Aryan “ephakeme.”

Kodwa indaba yoFakazi BakaJehova eYurophu yayihlukile. Babengabezizwe eziningi kodwa baqondwa ngokungeyikho njengosongo oluphikisayo lombuso waseJalimane wamaNazi ngenxa yokuma kwabo kobuKristu kokungathathihlangothi nokwenqaba ukuhlanganiswa emzamweni wempi wanoma yisiphi isizwe. UHitler wababiza ngokuthi ‘uswebezane okumelwe luqedwe.’ Lwalulukhulu kangakanani ‘loloswebezane’ futhi ingabe lwabhujiswa?

“Ihlelo Elincane”—Usongo KumaNazi

Emhlanganweni ophawulwe ngenhla, uDkt. Christine King wanikeza amaqiniso ngoFakazi eJalimane lobuNazi. Wabika: ‘Ukuthi lelihlelo elincane, izakhamuzi eziyizi-20 000 kweziyizigidi ezingama-65, izigidi ezingama-20 zazo ezazingamaRoma Katolika nezigidi ezingama-40 ezazingamaProthestani, ladonsa ukunakekela kweziphathimandla uma ukubheka okokuqala kuyamangaza. Kodwa lapho ucabangela ukuhlobana kwabo okuqinile nabaseMelika, intshiseko yabo emhlabeni wonke, nokuzwelana kwabo okubonakalayo nobukhomanisi nobuZion kuba sobala ngokushesha ukuthi babengenakubekezelelwa.’ Yebo, oFakazi BakaJehova babengewona amaKhomanisi noma amaZion kodwa babengathathihlangothi ezindabeni zezombangazwe nezohlanga. Nokho, lokho akuzange kuqondwe amaNazi.

Umkhankaso wamaNazi ngokumelene noFakazi waqala ngo-1933 lapho uHitler eqalisa ukubusa. Ngo-1934, ngemva kokwamukela izincwadi zocingo zokukhala koFakazi emhlabeni wonke, uHitler wadazuluka: “Loluswebezane luzoqedwa nyá eJalimane!” Ukushushiswa koFakazi kwakhula.

Encwadini yabo ethi Anatomy of the SS State, uHelmut Krausnick noMartin Broszat bathi: “Esinye isigaba seziboshwa zasejele lokuvikela leso ngemva kuka-1935 esaba iqembu eliqinile leziboshwa zasekamu lokuhlushwa sasivela emalungwini eInternationale Vereinigung der Ernsten Bibelforscher [OFakazi BakaJehova]. Leyonhlangano yayiqediwe eMbusweni waseJalimane ngo-1933 futhi konke ukushumayela noma ukwandisa izinkolelo zoFakazi BakaJehova kwakwenqatshelwa umthetho ngoba lenhlangano ngokuyinhloko yayibhekwa njengethuluzi lomsebenzi wokwenqaba ukulwa.”

“NgoFebruary 1936 kwaphuma iziyalezo zokuthi bonke ababengabaholi beInternationale Bibelforschervereinigung (IBV) [OFakazi BakaJehova] kumelwe bayiswe ejele lokuvikelwa ‘bahlale izinyanga ezifinyelela kwezimbili’. Phakathi kukaMay 1937 kwathathwa izinyathelo eziqhubekayo. AmaGestapo ayaleza ukuba: Wonke umuntu lowo ngandlelathile oqhubekisela phambili izinhloso zeIBV engekho emthethweni noma ubunye babalandeli bayo uyoyiswa ejele lokuvikela futhi ngokushesha amiswe ezinkantolo ukuze kukhishwe imvume engokomthetho yokuvalelwa ejele.” Ezikhathini eziningi labo ababeyiswa ‘kulelijele lokuvikela’ babegcina sebeyiswe ekamu lokuhlushwa.

Abalobi bayaphawula futhi: “Ngo-1937/8 uquqaba lweziboshwa zaseDachau kwakuyiziboshwa zezombangazwe kuyilapho eSachsenhausen ngisho nakulezozinsuku kwakunenani elikhulu ngokulinganayo lababizwa ngokuthi abantu abamelene nokuphatha kombuso, ongqingili, oFakazi BakaJehova nabaphila ngobugebengu.”

IMpi Yezwe II Nokungathathihlangothi

Izinto zaba zimbi kakhulu koFakazi ngo-1939 lapho kugqashuka impi phakathi kweJalimane namaZwe Asizanayo, iBrithani neFrance. Kwenzekani?

UAugust Dickmann oneminyaka engamashumi amabili nantathu ubudala waseDinslaken wayengomunye woFakazi abangama-600 ababeboshiwe eSachsenhausen ngo-1939.a Lapho kugqashuka impi ngoSeptember, umphathi wekamu uBaranowsky wakubona kuyithuba lakhe lokuphula ukuzimisela koFakazi. UAugust wenqaba ukuhlanganyela ebuthweni, futhi uBaranowsky wacela imvume kuHimmler yokuba abulale uDickmann osemusha phambi kwazo zonke iziboshwa zasekamu. Wayekholwa ukuthi oFakazi abaningi babeyoluphika ukholo lwabo uma bekubona ngokoqobo ukubulala. UDickmann wadutshulwa ngemuva amadoda amathathu amaSS wayesenikezwa igalelo lokugcina, ukudutshulwa ngesibhamu ekhanda, yisikhulu samaSS.

UGustav Auschner, ufakazi wokuzibonela, wabika kamuva: “Badubula uDickmann base besitshela ukuthi siyodutshulwa sonke uma singasayini isimemezelo sokuphika ukholo lwethu. Sasiyofakwa esigodini ngama-30 noma ngama-40 ngesikhathi esisodwa, futhi babeyosidubula sonke. Ngosuku olulandelayo, amaSS alethela ngamunye wethu ipheshana lokuba sisayine ngaphandle kwalokho inhlamvu. Wawungakubona ukubamba kwabo ongezansi lapho bephindela emuva kungasayinanga namunye. Babenethemba lokusethusa ngokubulala kwabo obala. Kodwa sasesaba kakhulu ukudumaza uJehova kunezinhlamvu zabo. Ababange besadubula namunye wethu obala.”

Kwaba nesimo esifanayo ekamu laseBuchenwald ngoSeptember 6, 1939. Isikhulu samaNazi uRödl watshela oFakazi: “Uma noma ubani wenu enqaba ukulwa neFrance noma iNgilandi, nonke kumelwe nife!” Kwakuyisikhathi sovivinyo. Kwakunamaqembu amabili amaSS ahlome ephelele elinde endlwaneni engasesangweni. Nokho, “akukho namunye uFakazi KaJehova owaphendula isicelo sesikhulu sokulwela iJalimane. Kwathi ukuthula kancane, kwase kuvela umyalo ngokungazelele: ‘Izandla phezulu! Khiphani konke okusemakhukhwini enu!’ ” kubika uEugen Kogon kwethi The Theory and Practice of Hell. Ingabe badutshulwa? Cha, bashaywa futhi baphangwa amadoda amaSS base benikezwa umsebenzi osabisayo wokumba amatshe. Futhi banqatshelwa noma yikuphi ukwelashwa esibhedlela.

UDkt. King, ocashunwe ngaphambili, wachaza: ‘Kodwa ngokumangalisayo, kumaNazi, noFakazi babengenakuqedwa. Uma becindezelwa kakhudlwana yilapho babeqina ngokwengeziwe, beba abaqine satshe ekwenqabeni kwabo. UHitler wabadubula empini yokuqothula konke, kodwa baqhubeka benokholo. Benonxantathu abansomi (uphawu engalweni) bakha amaqembu aqinile emakamu; okuhlangenwe nakho kwabo kuwukwaziswa okuyigugu kubo bonke abafunda ukusinda, ngaphansi kokucindezela okukhulu. Ngoba ukusinda khona basinda.’

Owasinda eAuschwitz uAnna Pawełczyńska wabhala encwadini yakhe ethi Values and Violence in Auschwitz: “Ngesilinganiso somphakathi omkhulu waseAuschwitz, oFakazi BakaJehova babeyiqembu elincane, elinganakeki . . . Nokho, umbala [onsomi] webheji labo elingunxantathu wawugqame kakhulu ekamu kangangokuthi ukuba kwabo abambalwa akubonakalisi amandla angempela aleloqembu. Leliqembu elincane leziboshwa lalingamandla aqinile ngokwengqondo futhi layinqoba impi yalo nobuNazi. Iqembu laseJalimane lalelihlelo belilokhu liyisiqhingi esincane esama siqinile phakathi kwesizwe esinobuphekula, futhi ngalowomoya ofanayo wokungadumali lalisebenza ekamu laseAuschwitz.” Wathi: “Wonke umuntu wayazi ukuthi akekho uFakazi KaJehova owayengenza ngokuvumelana nomyalo ophambene nenkolelo yakhe nezimiso ezingokwenkolo.”

Esinye isibonelo esivelele kulendaba umkhaya wakwaKusserow waseBad Lippspringe eJalimane. UFranz noHilda babenomkhaya omkhulu wabantwana abayi-11, abafana abayi-6 namantombazana ama-5. Ngaphansi kombuso wobuNazi, amalungu ayi-12 omkhaya wabayi-13 agwetshwa ingqikithi yeminyaka engama-65 emajele nasemakamu okuhlushwa. Ngo-1940, lapho eneminyaka engama-25, uWilhelm wadutshulwa ngenxa yokuma eqinile. Eminyakeni emibili kamuva umfowabo uWolfgang, eneminyaka engama-20, wanqunywa ikhanda ejele laseBrandenburg ngesizathu esifanayo. Ngo-1946, lapho eneminyaka engama-28 ubudala, umfowabo uKarl-Heinz wabulawa isifo sofuba ngemva kokuba ephindiselwe emuva egula evela eDachau. Abazali namadodakazi bonke badonsa isikhathi emajele nasemakamu okuhlushwa. (Ukuze uthole ukulandisa okuningiliziwe ngalomkhaya ophawulekayo wabafel’ ukholo, bheka INqabayokulinda kaSeptember 1, 1985, amakhasi 10-15.)

UEugen Kogon uthi encwadini yakhe ethi The Theory and Practice of Hell: “Umuntu kanakuwubalekela umqondo wokuthi, ngokwengqondo, amaSS awazange neze alingane nenselele ayeyibekelwa oFakazi BakaJehova.”

Uma leliqembu elincane loFakazi abangamaKristu, ngokusekelwe ezinkolelweni zalo zeBhayibheli, lakwazi ukumelana noHitler, umuntu uphoqelekile ukuba abuze, kungani izigidi zamaProthestani namaKatolika zahluleka kulokhu? Kwakukuphi ukuhola nokuqondisa okungokwenkolo okucacile, okuqinisekile ezimisweni zobuKristu okwakuyohoxisa ukusekela kwezigidi ezingama-60 zamaJalimane kubuNazi? (Bheka iBhokisi elisekhasini 13.)

Yini Eyawasekela?

Encwadini yakhe ethi The Drowned and the Saved, uPrimo Levi uthi: “Emsebenzini wokuphila kwansuku zonke [emakamu okuhlushwa], amakholwa [angokwenkolo nawezombangazwe] ayehlala kangcono . . . wonke ngokufanayo ayenamandla okusindisa okholo lwawo.”

Uyanezela: “Indawo yabo yayinkudlwana kuneyethu, yona nesikhathi kunwebeke ngokwengeziwe, ngaphezu kwakho konke iqondakala ngokwengeziwe: babenekusasa eliyiminyaka eyinkulungwane . . . indawo ezulwini noma emhlabeni lapho ukulunga nozwela kunqobe khona, noma babeyozuza mhlawumbe ekusaseni elikude kodwa eliqinisekile.”

Ukholo olungaguquki loFakazi BakaJehova ekusaseni leMinyaka Eyinkulungwane luboniswa kahle kakhulu izincwadi ezilandelayo ezivela koFakazi baseJalimane abagwetshelwe ukufa:

“Mfowethu othandekayo, mlamu wami, baba nomama, kuhlanganise nabo bonke abafowethu,“Kumelwe nginibhalele lezindaba ezibuhlungu zokuthi lapho namukela lencwadi ngiyobe ngingasekho. Sizani ningadabuki ngokweqile. Khumbulani ukuthi kuyinto elula nje ngoNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke ukungivusa kwabafileyo. . . . Yazini ukuthi bekuwumzamo wami wokumkhonza ebuthakathakeni bami futhi ngiyaqiniseka ngokuphelele ukuthi ubelokhu enami kuze kube sekupheleni. Ngizinikele kuye ukuba angigcine. . . . Futhi manje, mama nobaba abathandekayo, ngiyanibonga nobabili ngazo zonke izinto ezinhle eniye nangenzela zona. .. . .Kwangathi uJehova anganivuza ngakho konke enikwenzile.

“(Isayiniwe) Ludwig Cyranek”

ULudwig Cyranek wabulawelwa eDresden ngenxa yokuba omunye woFakazi BakaJehova.

UJohannes Harms, ngemva kokuba egwetshelwe ukufa ngokunqunywa ikhanda ngomshini, wanikezwa amathuba ayisikhombisa okuba ahoxe ekubeni uFakazi. Ngokushesha ngaphambi kokubulawa kwakhe ngo-1940, wathumela lencwadi kuyise, uMartin, naye owayeboshiwe ngokuba uFakazi.

“Baba othandekayo,

“Kusasele amasonto amathathu ngaphambi kukaDecember 3, usuku esabonana ngalo okokugcina eminyakeni emibili edlule. Ngisakubona ukumoyizela kwakho okuthandekayo lapho usebenza egumbini elingaphansi lasejele mina ngiphandle ngihamba egcekeni lasejele.

“Ngiye ngaziqhenya ngawe phakathi nalesikhathi futhi ngamangala ngendlela obuthwala ngayo ijoka lakho ngokwethembeka eNkosini. Futhi manje nami, nginikezwe ithuba lokubonakalisa ukwethembeka kwami eNkosini kuze kube sekufeni, yebo, ngokwethembeka hhayi kuze kube sekufeni nje kuphela, kodwa ngisho nasekufeni.

“Sesikhishiwe kakade isigwebo sami sokufa futhi ngihlala ngiboshwe ngamaketanga kokubili ubusuku nemini—ukungcola (okusephepheni) kubangelwe ozankosi—kodwa angikanqobi ngokuphelele. . . . Ngisenalo ithuba lokusindisa ukuphila kwami kwasemhlabeni, kodwa ngaleyondlela ngilahlekelwe ukuphila okuyikho.

“Lapho wena, baba othandekayo, uphindela ekhaya, ngicela ukuba umnakekele ngokukhethekile uLieschen wami othandekayo [umkakhe], ngoba kuyoba nzima ngokukhethekile ngaye, azi ukuthi othandiweyo wakhe ngeke abuye. Ngiyazi ukuthi uyokwenza lokhu futhi ngikubonga kusengaphambili. Baba othandekayo, ngiyakucela ngomoya, hlala uthembekile, njengoba nami ngiye ngazama ukuhlala ngithembekile, khona-ke siyobonana futhi. Ngiyohlala ngicabanga ngawe kuze kube sekugcineni impela.

“Indodana yakho uJohannes.”

Laba ababili nje kuphela kubafel’ ukholo, boFakazi BakaJehova abangamakhulu, abafa ngoba baba nesibindi sokuba abama beqinile embusweni omubi. Indaba ephelele yokufela ukholo kwabo bebonke ibingagcwala imiqulu.b

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 13]

OFakazi BakaJehova Babeyizisulu ZikaHitler

Okuvela Ku“The New York Times,” kaMay 14, 1985

KuMhleli:

Mina nomkami, esingamaJalimane sobabili, sachitha ingqikithi yeminyaka eyi-17 emakamu okuhlushwa amaNazi. NgangiseDachau naseMauthausen, futhi umkami, uGertrud, wayeseRavensbruck. Sasiphakathi kwezinkulungwane zamaJalimane angewona amaJuda ahlupheka ngoba enza lokho izigebengu zamaNazi ezahluleka ukukwenza—sasimelene ngokukanembeza nokukhonza isithombe nokuya empini okuphoqelelwayo kukaHitler. Nakuba izinkulungwane zethu zasinda emakamu, abaningi abazange.

Izincwadi zakho zamuva ezilandisa ngamaJalimane avamile ahlupheka ngaphansi kombuso kaHitler wobuNazi (ekaSabina Lietzmann, ka-April 25, neka-Anna E. Reisgies, ka-April 30) zingishukumisele ukuba ngithinte iqembu elilodwa elincane, elinganakwa ngokuvamile, elashushiswa kabuhlungu ngamaGestapo. Lalaziwa njengamaErnste Bibelforscher (AbaFundi BeBhayibheli Abaqotho) noma Jehovas Zeugen (OFakazi BakaJehova).

Ngokushesha nje lapho uHitler eqala ukubusa ngo-1933, waqalisa ukushushiswa okuqhubekayo koFakazi BakaJehova ngenxa yokuma kwabo kokungathathihlangothi kwezombangazwe nasempini. Ngenxa yalokho, izinkulungwane zoFakazi baseJalimane, abuningi babo ababengabangane bami, abazange nje kuphela babe yizisulu zokuQothulwa Kwesizwe kodwa futhi zokufel’ ukholo. Kungani kunalomehluko ocashile? Kungenxa yokuthi sasingahamba emakamu okuhlushwa noma nini uma sasizimisele ukusayina ipheshana eliphika izinkolelo zethu ezingokwenkolo.

Izibonelo ezimbili ezimfushane zizobonisa uhlobo lomoya owawushisa ezifubeni zamanye amaJalimane akwazi ukumelana noHitler. UWilhelm Kusserow, owayeneminyaka engama-25, waseBad Lippspringe, wadutshulwa ngoApril 27, 1940, ngoba wenqaba ukulwa emabuthweni kaHitler.

Eminyakeni emibili kamuva, umfowabo kaWilhelm, uWolfgang, wanqunywa ejele laseBrandenburg ngesizathu esifanayo. Ngokombono kaHitler ukudubula ngalesosikhathi kwakwesabeka ngokweqile kubaphikisi abaqotho. UWolfgang wayeneminyaka engama-20 ubudala.

Ngingalandisa ngamakhulu amadoda nabesifazane abangamaJalimane ababulawa ngokufanayo ngoba, egameni likaNkulunkulu, baba nesibindi sokuma ngokumelene nombuso ocindezelayo. Ukuthi kungani kwakungekho zigidi zamaJalimane anezimiso ukuba zime futhi zibalwe, esikhundleni sezinkulungwane kuphela, mhlawumbe umbuzo ongaphendulwa abanye.

UMartin Poetzinger

eBrooklyn, ngoMay 1, 1985

[Isithombe ekhasini 15]

Umkhaya wakwaKusserow—uWilhelm (owesibili kusukela kwesokudla) wadutshulwa; uWolfgang (owesithathu kusuka kwesobunxele) wanqunywa ikhanda; uKarl-Heinz (owesibili kusuka kwesobunxele) wabulawa ufuba ngemva kokukhululwa eDachau

[Isithombe ekhasini 16]

UMartin Poetzinger (owafa ngo-1988) nomkakhe uGertrud ngamunye wachitha iminyaka eyi-9 emakamu okuhlushwa amaNazi