Genocide in Biblical and Modern Times, Part Two

Last time we looked at genocide in the Bible. Genocide is perhaps the ugliest action against people that we can imagine. The idea of killing off ethnic groups of people is horrifying to nearly everyone. However, there are other forms of genocide which people normally don’t think of, some of which many or most people accept as status quo, without questioning the ones who perpetrate them, depending on the culture they live in. How do modern people define genocide? Among Western culture, I think the United States Statute on genocide is probably typical. I quote it.

TITLE 18–CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE

PART I–CRIMES

CHAPTER 50A–GENOCIDE

Sec. 1091. Genocide

(a) Basic Offense.–Whoever, whether in time of peace or in time of war, in a circumstance described in subsection (d) and with the specific intent to destroy, in whole or in substantial part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group as such–

(1) kills members of that group;

(2) causes serious bodily injury to members of that group;

(3) causes the permanent impairment of the mental faculties of members of the group through drugs, torture, or similar techniques;

(4) subjects the group to conditions of life that are intended to cause the physical destruction of the group in whole or in part;

(5) imposes measures intended to prevent births within the group; or

(6) transfers by force children of the group to another group; or attempts to do so, shall be punished as provided in subsection (b).

(b) Punishment for Basic Offense.–The punishment for an offense under subsection (a) is–

(1) in the case of an offense under subsection (a)(1), where death results, by death or imprisonment for life and a fine of not more than $1,000,000, or both; and

(2) a fine of not more than $1,000,000 or imprisonment for not more than twenty years, or both, in any other case.

(c) Incitement Offense.–Whoever in a circumstance described in subsection (d) directly and publicly incites another to violate subsection (a) shall be fined not more than $500,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

(d) Required Circumstance for Offenses.–The circumstance referred to in subsections (a) and (c) is that–

(1) the offense is committed within the United States; or

(2) the alleged offender is a national of the United States (as defined in section 101 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101)).

(e) Nonapplicability of Certain Limitations.–Notwithstanding section 3282 of this title, in the case of an offense under subsection (a)(1), an indictment may be found, or information instituted, at any time without limitation.

We think of the Nazis killing 6,000,000 Jews as genocide. But it would be no less genocide if someone, thousands of years ago, had killed all of Father Abraham’s immediate children, such that the 6,000,000 Jews had never been born. If someone killed all of your children, or if they killed you alone and you did not have children, it would be a genocide against your unique genetic material.

In some African countries today, soldiers physically mutilate the people among their enemies, hacking off limbs. It is difficult to fathom the level of hatred that would motivate such actions. The people are decimated, and the ones who are left are not very capable of carrying on their race or culture.

I am not personally aware of instances in which the third and fourth listed offenses have been carried out. I imagine that if a community was imprisoned in cages, drugged stupid, and starved to death, it would qualify.

Preventing births within a group can be done in several ways. The most obvious is forced sterilization. Putting birth control drugs in the well would result in a drop in births. Castration of males can accomplish the same thing on a more permanent basis. A different tactic which has been favored by history, if not the victims, is the raping of the enemy’s women. This does not eliminate the reproductive ability of the group, but does force the addition of the prevailing group’s genes into the pool and slow down the vanquished group’s own births.

These are all horrible, ugly, and hideous actions perpetrated by the victors against the victims. Occasionally, some form of god is invoked. Many times, however, there is no pretense of religious justification. As long as the intent is to destroy the group, these actions fall under the United States definition of genocide. There is yet another class of actions which we have not yet discussed, and this will be the subject of Part Three.