Anne Frank was 15 years old when she died in a Nazi concentration camp. Yet her words outlived her body. Words scribbled in a diary from a secret attic in Amsterdam became one of the world’s most powerful mirrors.
This summer, I found myself in Amsterdam for Mindvalley U. By chance, my Airbnb was on the street next to Anne Frank’s house. Each morning, I’d step outside and see the same canals, the same cobblestones, and the same rooftops Anne may have glimpsed in stolen moments when she dared peek out from her hiding place.
A few mornings later, I opened the news and froze. The Diary of Anne Frank had just been banned in Florida schools under new book-ban laws. Imagine that. In 2025, one of the most important human documents ever written—the testimony of a teenage Jewish girl hiding from Nazi genocide—was deemed “inappropriate” for children to read.
The synchronicity hit me hard. I was standing before the building where those words were written. Words that survived Anne, even though she did not. Words that outlived war, genocide, and cruelty—only to be silenced again today by politicians who fear truth more than hatred.
And this got me thinking.
If Anne Frank were alive today, what would she say about America? About Israel & Gaza?
What I’m about to share may feel uncomfortable—but Anne’s words demand we face discomfort.
Who was Anne Frank
Anne Frank was born in Frankfurt in 1929. When the Nazis rose to power, her family fled to Amsterdam, hoping to escape persecution. In 1942, when deportations began, they went into hiding in a small annex behind her father’s office. For over two years, Anne, her sister Margot, her parents Otto and Edith, and four others lived in silence, relying on the courage of Dutch friends who smuggled them food and news.
Anne wasn’t just a symbol. She was a teenager—funny, sharp, sometimes rebellious, and always observant. She dreamed of being a journalist. She once wrote, “I want to go on living even after my death.” And, tragically, she did—not through her life, but through her words.
In August 1944, they were betrayed. The Gestapo stormed the annex. The Franks were deported to Westerbork, then Auschwitz, and finally Anne and Margot to Bergen-Belsen. In early 1945, both sisters died of typhus—just weeks before liberation. Anne was 15.
Only Otto Frank survived. After the war, Miep Gies, one of the helpers, handed him Anne’s diary. He published it, fulfilling her dream. Today, it has sold over 30 million copies and been translated into more than 70 languages.
Anne’s body was silenced. But her voice became immortal.
Anne’s words in today’s world
Anne once wrote:
“Terrible things are happening outside. Poor, helpless people are being dragged out of their homes. Families are torn apart. Children come home from school to find that their parents have disappeared.”
She was describing Nazi roundups in Amsterdam.
But doesn’t that sound eerily like ICE raids in America today? Parents taken in the middle of the night. Children left crying, bewildered, abandoned. Different time, different uniforms—but the same cruelty.
Anne also wrote:
“We are chained to one spot, without rights, a thousand obligations… waiting for the inevitable end.”
That could be the voice of Gaza today. Entire families locked in. Starved. Bombed. Denied freedom of movement. Children asking, “Why must we suffer simply because of who we are?”
Her words, written 80 years ago, read like dispatches from the present. History is not past. It is a loop—unless we break it.
A hard, controversial mirror
Anne’s diary teaches us to look at cruelty honestly, no matter where it comes from. And one thing history proves: atrocities don’t start with bullets. They start with words.
Dehumanizing language always comes first.
So let’s talk about Gaza, as uncomfortable as this may seem.
Consider the echoes:
- Nazi leadership (1943): Heinrich Himmler at Posen: “I am referring here to the evacuation of the Jews, the extermination of the Jewish people….”
- Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (2023): On the Palestinian town of Huwara: “[Huwara] should be wiped out. I think the State of Israel should do it.”
- Hitler, Mein Kampf: Jews as “the typical parasite, a sponger who, like an infectious bacillus, keeps spreading.” Nazi propaganda routinely cast Jews as vermin.
- Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (2023): Announcing a siege of Gaza: “There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel… We are fighting human animals and we are acting accordingly.”
- Nazi propaganda (Goebbels echoing Hitler): Jews blamed collectively for war, threatened with “extermination.”
- Israeli President Isaac Herzog (2023): “It is an entire nation out there that is responsible….” — words widely criticized as endorsing collective punishment.
- Nazi euphemisms: “Evacuation” as code for extermination.
- Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu (2023): Suggesting a nuclear strike on Gaza was “one of the options.”
Different contexts. Different scales. But the same pattern.
Dehumanize → Justify → Destroy.
Anne Frank’s words remind us: when we hear this language, it is never “just rhetoric.” It is the runway to cruelty.
You see, cruelty always begins the same way: when leaders tell us to fear “the other.”
Fear the immigrant.
Fear the refugee.
Fear the neighbor who looks different.
Fear the people beyond your border.
That is the oldest political trick in the book. And it works—unless we refuse to buy it.
Anne Frank didn’t write her diary so we could cry in museums. She wrote it so we could recognize her suffering in others—and have the courage to stop it.
Why giving people a chance matters
This message hit me with even greater force because, while in Amsterdam, I also had a chance encounter.
I bumped into a young Syrian man who once worked for me back in 2016. At the time, he was a refugee in Malaysia. He and his friend had escaped a country torn apart by war. One had seen his home blown to rubble. The other had lost a brother when a bomb fell on the very place his brother was resting.
Both had lived through horrors most of us can barely imagine. And yet, when I met them, I didn’t just see refugees. I saw brilliant young minds. I saw hope, determination, and resilience.
That year, I had an idea for a new learning model called Quest and needed someone to build the app. These two young Syrians built it in record time. That app became the Mindvalley app—today used by millions worldwide and even featured in 200,000 Apple stores on the iPad.
Yes, our app was built by Syrians. Yes, it was built by refugees who were given a chance.
Anne never got her chance. But when we give people that chance, look what can happen.
This is why I am so adamant about this message. When politicians tell you to fear refugees, or immigrants, or minorities, they’re not just lying. They are robbing humanity of its future.
The rule we must all live by
If there’s one rule we must all live by, it’s this:
The moment a leader tells you to fear refugees, minorities, or immigrants, you are looking at a tyrant.
Do not believe them. Do not reward their fear with your silence—or your vote.
Because fear divides. And division always leads to cruelty.
What the world needs now is unity.
Unity across stripes, colors, races, and ethnicities. Unity across cultures, religions, and especially across borders.
Because the only way we solve the greatest challenges facing humanity—from climate change to war to poverty—is to remember this truth:
We are one humanity.
And kindness cannot stop at the invisible lines of race, religion, or border.
The higher vision
Anne Frank once wrote:
“In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.”
That may be the most extraordinary line ever written. She believed it while hiding from people who wanted her dead.
If Anne could believe in human goodness then, we can believe in it now.
Let’s prove her right.
Let’s choose compassion over cruelty.
Let’s stand up for one another across borders.
Let’s silence the voices of fear not by shouting back but by choosing unity again and again.
Because Anne’s diary isn’t just a warning.
It’s a torch.
And it’s in our hands now.
So here’s what we can collectively do.
Stand for unity. Across color. Across race. Across borders. Across religions.
When you hear fear, answer with love.
When you hear division, answer with solidarity.
When a politician uses scapegoating, vote the other way.
The only way to honor Anne is to prove her right—that humanity is good at heart.
And that goodness becomes real when we act.
Because history doesn’t just happen to us. It is written by our choices—and our silence.
I’d like to hear from you: Drop a comment below—let’s create a conversation around unity, compassion, and what it means to stand for humanity in our time.
1,246 Responses
I’m so saddened and disappointed to read these comments. To compare Israel to Nazis is simply wrong. I’m a fan of what you do and you have shattered my support of you. Where is context here? Please go back and review what the Germans did to the Jews. Then learn about what Hamas did to babies, music concert attendees and peace-loving kibbutzniks. Your piece breaks my heart.
Thank you, Vishen
This piece brought me to tears
We need to honor Ann Frank, as you said, by believing that people are good in standing for unity and kindness to all
Thank you, Vishen, for all that you are doing to make this one world a better place and for your courage in speaking up. A
Profoundly Grateful,
MSerpa
I think Mindvalley could help my vision come to life in “saving the world”. Putting quotation for those intimidated by unwavering faith. But, unwavering faith and unity is what it will take. I look forward to you reaching out!
Vishen is a great leader and thinker. I am so glad he is in the world. I am glad I found him years ago.
This Vishen thinks he is a “leader” or “guru” …. there are more intelligent people out there. He must realise this! Vishen’s political views are not only wrong but criminal too! Because he has a huge platform created on different subjects and he decided to spread hate and show support for criminals and terrorists on this very platform! So, false pretences to splash his leftist wrong propaganda based on lies! You will be well advised to stay in your lane Vishen and Thanks God you are NOT running for office! I subscribed to Mindvalley because I know about Paul McKenna! If I want politics I know where to go and that is Trump!!! The left destroyed America and destroyed Europe. You are spreading lies! I will reconsider my membership to Mindvalley. I do not want to support terrorists and criminals!
I am in tears, having read your message. My thoughts:
***Love is greater than Hate. Love is greater than Fear.
***We are only given one life, and it is fleeting. Choose to live lives of Beauty and Worth.
***It is hard to be brave when we are being attacked, but we must be brave anyway.
***Stand together, shoulder to shoulder, and walk through the fire… TOGETHER.
You are so right, Vishen!!
Kindness, compassion and speaking up are critical. Thank you for the reminder.
We must share this information. It’s our silence that will defeat us.
Vishen, very irresponsible to equate this to Hitler!! Yikes! Law and order is not racism. We’re hurting here. Under Reagan, The Immigration Reform and Control Act legalized most undocumented immigrants who had arrived in the country prior to January 1, 1982. if our laws were followed after that there would be not massive movement now. All races of Americans are hurting. We follow the law and hand our money over to unsustainable chaos of no enforcement. Mexico has tight immigration, why is that not racist? I respect their laws!
All this does is show that Vishen is 100% a fraud when it comes to being some kind of personal development thought leader. He’s completely biased and FOS. I witnessed him have a little tantrum at the LA event. Of course, he’s baited by propaganda. You’re done buddy.
I’m so happy and hopeful to see your comments.
Your words will encourage many to break the silence created by fear.
Misma situación Vishen, las historias se repiten mientras no tengamos la capacidad de verlas, reconocerlas y darles su lugar. Así lo enseña Hellinger justamente alemán.
Las solución es enviarles nuestras mejores vibraciones y hacer los cambios necesarios en nuestro interior para ser mejores personas cada día. Lo que vemos afuera solo refleja lo que necesitamos arreglar en nosotros mismos.
Saludos y bendiciones querido Vishen!
Thank you Vishen.
I don’t see anything “political” in your post, but only humanity. Its a shame that some people think so. I don’t hate them, just its appalling how ignorant people can be. I am all for spreading the message of love and support you fully in your efforts to bring humanity back into the hearts of these people.
Maybe I am one of those guilty of silence but it’s based coming from a period of speaking out only having my own world view and paradigm challenged and sometimes disproved. It’s gotten to the point where I simply do not know what to believe. This is why I now tend to avoid such discussions like these because any opinion I share is still based on a significant amount of ignorance and unknows.
Despite my ignorance I have learned a few things such as ; things are not always what they appear to be, I have been in places where what I was observing and experiencing was totally opposite to what both the legacy and alternative media was broadcasting. A few years ago I learned a term called Astro Turfing where searches were deliberatedly manipulated. Prior to that I listened to a documentary showing how Google would manipulate search results.
To highlight some of those unknowns I like to share the following experience that had a major impact on how I react anything being shown to me via a camera;
Years earlier I watched a bbc ad promoting their newspaper. It depicted this aggressively violent looking skin head charging towards this innocent man minding his own business. What else can you expect from skin heads I thought to myself. Then it showed the same shot from a different angle, it still looked bad but not as bad as the first one, then it showed the same scene from a third higher angle. The scene started looking more neutral than bad. The final angle reversed the entire story of what we were seeing with our own eyes..that aggressive skin head was risking his own life to save that innocent human being from a falling object that was being hosted by a crane. The same scene with our eyes giving two opposite stories.
This is in no way an attempt to deny the horrors taking place in Gaza. It is as one previous commentator highlighted that is an inhabitant of Israel but equally may apply to him as well. You have to be living there but not just outside of Gaza also inside. When you have fully experienced and lived in both worlds there, that’s the time you can speak with the utmost authority and conviction. Anyone else speaks based on what information is being conveyed to him with complete faith and trust that zero manipulation and filtering has taken place. Even when that is the case we still have to receive the same unfiltered information from the other camp.
You triggered a very controversial topic where arguments are being presented on both sides that’s not being included in news coverage in both camps and that’s the other unfortunate reality both camps will inevitably be guilty of some form of news coverage manipulation. Especially when that data is stealthily designed to trigger our emotions pushing logic, reason and facts into the background.
Ironically what scares me even more now is the news that is being allowed to be published without censorship.
There’s another even darker horrible side to this story that goes way beyond the Palestinian Israel conflict.
Our entire weapons industrial complex that thrives and survives in war. As one writer calls it “the proof of weapons network”
It’s almost as if the powers that be are purposely allowing this growing animosity towards the ruling Israeli regime to grow to the point of justifying its sudden replacement. Which in turn may result in reducing middle east tensions and the threat of further destabilisation in the area and war somewhat. While at the same time with increasing threat of war elsewhere.
While we in the West observe with horror and disgust at the wars taking place elsewhere we tend to forget that weapons manufacturing industry and revenue play a major role in our government’s survival and existence. Not much different to those good old colonial days of centuries gone. We like to view ourselves and our modern day so called freedom loving democratic governments as having progressed and becoming more civilised. But even if we look at the last several thousands years of recorded human history, how much of a percentage consisted of relative peace for the majority.
If I could summarise this entire thread in one sentence;
“Follow the money” and everything we have and are witnessing will make perfect sense”
Vishen, please check your facts about the Anne Frank book which is on the 8th grade curriculum in Florida, according to Yahoo News. (Note some of these banned books have graphic images of sexual acts, and those do need to be banned). Secondly, many of us have come to love our immigrants in the US. They are our gardeners, our contractors, people who pick our crops. They are hard-working people who are doing jobs that many Americans disdain. Many come to America because there are no jobs in their country. The issue is ILLEGAL immigrants. There is an immigration system in place, and everyone must abide by these rules. We cannot afford endless welfare, healthcare, free housing. Those who steal across borders are making it unfair for others who have come here legally. Please make a distinction in your broad sweeping accusations. Thanks.
Jesus Christ loved unconditionally. It is His example the world needs to emulate. While hanging on the cross, cruelly crucified by His own people, He called out to God the Father, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
Mary Morrissey reminds us that what we wish on others, we are wishing on ourselves. So, it stands to reason that we should do as Jesus admonished us, (New Testament | Matthew 5:43 – 45) “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Imagine what this world would be like if everyone prayed in love for those who persecute them, did good to those who cursed them, and so on. I submit that the atrocities cited in this blog would cease to exist.
I want freedom, love, understanding, mercy, and justice. That is what I choose to pray for others. What goes around, comes around.
I am bloking your site !!!!!!!!! I thought you were a wordly fair person but you are contuting to hate
**Please fact check this!**
I believe your email regarding this blog may be having the opposite effect you intended. My understanding is that a novel written about Anne Frank is banned in some districts (not state wide), however the original diary is still available to read in all districts. I’m afraid your attention grabbing headline is adding to the extreme divisiveness we are already experiencing here in the US, we really don’t need any help in that regard! Though I always appreciate and support your message regarding Unity, maybe you can request AI generate an attention getting headline that won’t contribute more unnecessary outrage? Unfortunately, I haven’t found a media source that can be trusted to just report facts so everything written about the US regardless of source, absolutely has to fact checked in multiple sources.
Thank you, Vishen, for addressing such a sensitive and divisive topic.
It takes courage, vision, and heart to speak about this.
I’ve lived in many countries and like Anne believe that “In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.”
We are one humanity sharing one fragile home. The concepts of countries, nations, and race are outdated illusions that divide us. Sadly, history has shown us — again and again — how “us” versus “them” leads to tragedy. Until we break the cycle, it will repeat.
Lots of love and light to everyone from Lebanon
I have never read anything truer than these words, yours and Anne Frank’s. I shared this post with all my colleagues at school and with the parents from our PTA, SSC, and ELAC members. Everyone must be aware. What makes me sad is that I know everyone in my circle shares our beliefs, but they are not enough. One family of our students was detained by ICE while they were having their refugee immigration interview, including the first-grade child who was born here. ICE immediately sent them to Texas and then expelled them from the country. This family did not even have a chance to go home, pack up, and get their money from the bank. The child, a first-grader, did not have the opportunity to say goodbye to his classmates and teacher. His classmates were devastated, and the impact on the child is unimaginable. I am petrified of what is happening right now and feel really powerless despite living in a democratic state. I appreciate your words and insights, and I hope that, given your well-known status, you can share your thoughts with more people than I can in my small community. But I did share with everyone I know.