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.
1,234 Responses
Hi Vishen, I feel what you have written here encapsulates exactly what’s going on. We really do have to band together and form a universal love and healing energy.
I practice twice daily sending out love to all people, my family, my ancestors, my children, and grandchildren.
I ask for love to go into the hearts minds and consciousness’ of all the leaders around the world and for it to replace any and all hatred within.
I am so glad you met those wonderful Syrians.
Thank you for all of your beautiful positive energy.
Maryjane.E
Vishen,
What you’ve shared forces us to confront what most would rather avoid. Atrocities are not born in a vacuum — they follow a recognizable sequence. They start with language that strips people of their humanity, then escalate into policies that normalize cruelty, and eventually end with violence that too many claim they “never saw coming.” History has taught us this pattern repeatedly, yet here we stand, watching it unfold again in our own time.
It is staggering that in 2025, Anne Frank’s diary — the living voice of a child who bore witness to unimaginable persecution — can be banned in schools while political leaders around the world recycle the same rhetoric that made her hiding necessary. To ban her words is to silence not only her, but every child who has ever asked the question, “Why must we suffer simply because of who we are?”
The lesson here is not academic. It is urgent. When leaders point to refugees, immigrants, or minorities as threats, they are not protecting society — they are dismantling it. When neighbors are targeted, it is our duty to step forward as protectors, not bystanders. Silence in these moments is not neutrality; it is endorsement.
You quoted Anne Frank: “In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.” That line remains one of the most extraordinary testaments to hope ever written. But if we are to prove her right, then belief alone is not enough. It requires action — action that rejects fear, resists division, and insists on the dignity of every human being, no matter which border they stand behind.
Anne’s words are not relics. They are signals. And they ask us a simple question: when cruelty resurfaces, will we recognize it for what it is, or will we, once again, pretend not to see?
— Arif
Thank you and may I say I have admired you personally and Mind Valley for a long time. Your work always thought provoking and enlightening . May I call on you to use your massive mailing/contact list to set up a daily international time designated for the projection of love and prayers – no matter the mindset or denomination – to all humanity and our planet. Minutes spent by millions can move the tide.Love is verb and actionable steps her embrace.
I really appreciate your writing on this. You are one of the few whom I’ve been interested in that has combined what’s going on in the world today and the work that you put out there. It has been disjointing to experience something good that I want to explore but their lack of acknowledgement of what’s happening right now gives me pause.
Bless you, Vishen! Thank you for using your large platform and influence for good. We applaud & appreciate you! May your message reach many; may it amplify and empower the masses to bring real change that benefit all of humanity.
Bless you, Vishen! Thank you for using your large platform and influence for good. We applaud & appreciate you! May your message reach many; may it amplify and empower the masses to bring real change that benefit all of humanity.
Oh my God, I am so glad you wrote this! This is so damned needed, it brought air where it had become increasingly difficult for me/ for most to breathe, thank you.
Thank you, Vishen, for this timely message when even small voices like ours are being attacked for choosing humanity.
“ And kindness cannot stop at the invisible lines of race, religion, or border.” -Vishen
“In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.” -Anne Frank
Thank you for all the good you are bringing into our world at so many levels.
💗
This is the most powerful read Vishen has ever written. Thank you.
What a horrifyingly ignorant article—and from someone whose entire business model is built on “enlightenment” and personal growth. To speak on behalf of Anne Frank in a perverse attempt to invert the roles of victim and perpetrator is not only distasteful but borderline blood-libelous. The Israel–Palestine conflict would be far less inflamed if those with no clue and no skin in the game stopped virtue-signaling. Empty gestures from attention grifters don’t bring peace—they only add to the cost. War should be canceled—but first, ignorance must be canceled.
so the explain how come the victim as killed 100 times more children than the perpetrator
Beautifully written Vishen. Thank you for your message.
We are all human, but we are not all the same. When we go to others homes, others’ countries, we either chose to respect the rules and laws there, or we don’t.
That choice has consequences. So yes, we are all human. Our choices, however, are not all the same, and being an actual adult means having accountability for your behavior. That said:
Comparing ICE raids – deterring illegal criminals- to the holocaust, is absolutely insane, and I expected more from MindValley.
First, for context, every important person in my life *happens* to be Mexican, including my partner. And my grandparents’ families on my dad’s side, came here and fled the holocaust, and did what was needed to stay legally.
If the author of this had any real, personal connections with people in this ethnic group (being a tourist and acting deeply poetic about it doesn’t count), they might have actually learned that just because they look similar, they are not all the same, and there is a distincitive difference and dynamic between those who came here by the books and the rest who chose to skip the line. Every one I’ve talked to- my partner, my best friends, their families, and their extended families- are actually in support of removing illegal criminals from this country. Their families work hard to come and stay here (Legally), and don’t appreciate the representation and actions of those who come here illegally and continue to break the law, including through tax evasion. But apparently Mind Valley doesn’t care about facts, when you can allow a self-righteous virtue signaling and pull at the heartstrings of people by drawing similarities between actual, real atrocities.
Anne Frank is turning in her grave now for the way the author of this exploited her story to push their narrative. Shame on you for not being to tell the difference between the absolute atrocities of GENOCIDE vs. the consequences of the unwelcome guests of the country chosing to exploit us, rather than come and act honorably as so many did. You’re actively downplaying the suffering of the holocaust- an absolute dishonor and exploitation of the innocent people who were brutally murdered, displaced, and tortured- to feed a narrative becsuse you want the country to continue to harbor criminals rather than be forced to come back legally (or, face jail, for the many who were found guilty of larger crimes). I’m disgusted, and questioning if I want to be associated with this company at all.
Dear Vishen!
You hit the head of the nail!
I support your words and I pray it spreads like the wind!
We need to stop what is happening! We are one!
wow just wow on so many levels. I only hope your words and the feelings you’ve poured will reach sop many people believing in the fear dished out by politicians not just against immigrants or against people of different colour or faith but also for the diseases which help pharma companies and now countries are signing the bill to forfeit their rights to WHO when it declares a pandemic which will allow them to pull people out of their home son the pretext of a perceived infection. People were forced to take the shots out of fear and mass hysteria. Let’s create a world against wars where peace is the default, courage runs deep, resilience is the way kids move about. Its insane how in Canada they have cut off all low branches of trees so kids cant climb or even taken off play structures due to fear of falling. I am with you in fighting this war of fear or let’s say filling our cuos of courage, hope and resilience. Way to go, Vishen!
Vishen,
Thank you for speaking up. These things need to be signed over and over and loudly. And even more so by people who have a platform and broad reach.
I am in shock on a daily basis at the things that the American Congress is allowing to happen.
Hi,
Hard Question;
Why no mention about The Quote From river to the sea?
Or all the slogans Hamas used while murdering jews on October 7th?
If Anne or her father would have a knife and be able to kill the Nazi that came to capture or kill her, would you hold it against them?
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.
Are you seriously comparing ICE deporting “illegal” aliens to what the Nazis did to their own citizens? Are you seriously comparing anything happening here in America today to to what the Nazis did? I have always respected your vision and what you have accomplished, but this is just a ridiculous thing to say in my opinion. I am sure there will be many in this community that will disagree with me, but I can live with that.
Hey, Rick. The comparison is real, in terms of *the way in which* immigrants are being rounded up, and the propaganda being used to dehumanize and label them. It is very similar to how the situation*began* in Hitler era Germany. Fwiw, we are not served to think in binaries about issues such as war and immigration. Hamas is a very real problem. So is the response in Palestine. Mass illegal immigration is a problem.. but real, humanitarian solutions exist to address the real problems around immigration.. and they start with improving the immigration process itself. The methods we could use to address immigrants who are already here are many, and they should not include taking breastfeeding mothers away from their screaming babies. They should not include cruel and sudden separation of families, or parents/ children disappearing in the middle of the night, leaving behind traumatized and grief-stricken families. The way we treat people.. no matter what stories or labels you believe.. says far more about our humanity than theirs. We can do better, and should demand for our leaders to do better.
Whole heartily agree …100%
I often ponder why society does not learn from past history….
Maybe not taught past history?
my parents survived WWII…my moms home bombed…..I have first hand stories to pique my interest in history…..but others, maybe not the interest to learn and thus doomed to live these horrors out again..?
AND…to ban Anne Franke’s book is “preventing” that learning!
well written article
I feel so deeply inspired after reading this. It moved me in ways I can’t fully put into words. This message spells out everything I have been feeling but couldn’t express so clearly myself. Thank you for writing it with such honesty, courage, and compassion, it’s a mirror the world desperately needs right now.
Your email and this article about Anne Frank’s Book being banned need to be retracted as it is untrue! Mindvalley should also apologize for spreading this misinformation!
This is just a lie. Not only is Anne Frank’s diary not “banned” in Florida — it’s on the
@EducationFL recommended reading list
https://x.com/ChristinaPushaw/status/1959966595880554899
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