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
Thank you Vishen for your thoughts on this.
It provokes thought.
I appreciate what you are doing.
I think John Lennon summed it up beautifully….
“LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED…. “
The world needs more love, which encapsulates empathy, kindness, thoughtfulness, truth, compassion, respect others, Just to name a few.
Treat others with LOVE.
It’s that simple, it would make the world a much better place etter place.
Thank you for the Mindvalley platform, it’s been life changing for me and I recommend it to others looking for change.
Much LOVE to you Vishen and to all x
Estamos transitando los tiempos finales donde todo es y será un caos. Personajes como los que estamos viendo en los diferentes paises del mundo deshumanizados. Sin un norte claro diferente a la destrucción de la humanidad por los recursos naturales en rapiña. Pensando que sobreviran a todas las masacres que tienen planeadas y que se podrán seguir declarando amos y dueños del mundo. Son seres oscuros con “PODER” A nosotros nos corresponde serlos mejores seres humanos que podamos y para eso nos debemos preparar día a día en nuestro despertar para poder ser esa otra fuerza de luz para poder libar la batalla con la oscuridad. Gracias por tan maravillosa reflexión y permitir que Ana siga viva en nuestros corazones.
Vishen,
I’m a long-time fan of Mindvalley (since 2017!) and of you. I’ve loved what you’ve built and all of the important information you’ve been putting out into the world.
But — I believe you’ve made a big mistake with this statement about Anne Frank’s Diary.
Please Note: *The Diary of Anne Frank* has NOT been banned in Florida schools. That is patently FALSE. A specific, graphic novel adaptation entitled, “Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation” by Ari Folman and illustrator David Polonsky was banned due to what was considered inappropriate content.
It’s also a bit of a stretch to compare Nazi roundups of Jewish citizens to Ice rounding up illegal immigrants (a massive amount are known criminals btw) who chose to shortcut the system (and I agree our legal immigration process is lacking needs work!).
There are some great points in your blog – but the premise is very misleading and feeds into a narrative that is inaccurate. You are an influencer and this is a huge responsibility. People who do not think critically or do their own deep research will blindly follow the lead of people they admire, respect and place above themselves in their own construct of human heirarchy. People like you Vishen.
I am still a fan and still love Mindvalley. But I do hope you will verify this info and put out a correction to your blog post.
All the best,
Loree
This is powerful, Vishen. Thank you.
Thank you for your warmth, humanity, courage and fine thoughts
It is a welcomed support
A lo que mas hay que temer es a la INTOLERANCIA, que es lo que genera el odio de cualquier forma y sufrimiento humano, todos somos uno, lo que se le haga a un semejante, se lo hace a uno mismo. En mi pais Mexico hay una frase de Benito Juarez, “El respeto al derecho ageno es la Paz” y todos tenemos derecho a la vida y a ser respetados. AMOR Y PAZ AL MUNDO.
Hello Vishen,
Midvalley is an amazing company that brings peace and balance into the world. That’s why I was concerned by your most recent post/newsletter. While I respect the intent to draw lessons from history, the comparisons you made were one-sided and, in places, historically inaccurate.
As to your points…
On The Diary of Anne Frank
The newsletter said The Diary of Anne Frank was “banned” in Florida. For clarity, what actually happened is more nuanced. In some Florida school districts, certain editions — such as a graphic novel adaptation that included explicit sexual content — were removed from libraries or classrooms, not the diary itself.
On Deportations in America
The newsletter compared ICE deportations under former President Trump to Nazi roundups. For clarity, deportations — while painful for families — are a function of every sovereign nation. In the U.S., President Obama actually removed far more people than President Trump. Over his two terms, Obama oversaw about 3 million deportations, with yearly removals peaking at over 400,000 per year. By contrast, under Trump, total deportations were under 1 million in his first term, with recent averages of about 14,700 per month in 2025, far below Obama’s record highs. Deportation is a process conducted by every nation, varying in intensity, and while the U.S. approach may be more or less stringent than others, all countries enforce immigration laws — so holding Trump to an unbalanced standard is not reasonable. To equate Trump’s deportation policies with the Nazi regime’s persecution of Jews is historically misleading and deeply inappropriate.
On Israel and Gaza
You compared Israel’s leadership to Nazis. Having lived in Israel and specifically near Huwara, I know both the fear of rocket fire and terroir attacks and the longing for peace that ordinary Israelis and Palestinians share. That’s why it is irresponsible to erase Hamas’ atrocities while holding only Israel to account. For years, Israel has endured ongoing rocket fire, culminating in the atrocities of October 7, 2023, when Hamas and allied groups invaded communities, massacred civilians, and took hostages.
According to Human Rights Watch, these attacks included deliberate killings, arson, hostage-taking, and assaults on civilians — constituting war crimes and crimes against humanity. A UK parliamentary inquiry later confirmed that over 1,182 people were killed, more than 70% of them civilians, including infants and Holocaust survivors. Furthermore, the United Nations Special Envoy on Sexual Violence in Conflict reported reasonable grounds to believe that rape, gang rape, and sexual torture occurred during the attacks, including against hostages.
These are not isolated incidents of war but atrocities. While it is valid to discuss Israel’s policies or military strategies, fairness demands equal recognition of both the October 7th massacre and the years of rocket and terror attacks that preceded it.
On Responsibility in Messaging
Comparing democratic governments — whether America’s or Israel’s — to the Nazi regime does not invite thoughtful reflection. Instead, it risks distorting history and inflaming division. As a meditation and wellness company, your words carry influence. If your goal is to encourage awareness and compassion, then accuracy, fairness, and balance are essential.
I encourage you to take greater care in the use of your platform. History — and the real suffering of people today — deserves to be addressed with honesty, balance, and responsibility.
Respectfully.
Estimado Vishen:
Agradezco profundamente tus palabras, análisis y reflexiones respecto de lo que está ocurriendo, soy de Chile y muchas veces los medios de comunicación disfrazan los relatos de los hechos por lo mismo hace ya un tiempo dejé de ver noticias, por que siento no son verdaderas y lo único que hacen es dar audiencia al miedo, el odio a partir de las diferencias de credo, culturales y de raza, cuando la verdad si bien es individual, lo que nos une es el ser humanidad, y el daño de crear odio y diferencias entre nosotros es hacernos daño a nosotros mismos, asi lo he entendido después de mucho estudio y comprensión en el sentir del ser, que somo todos. Definitivamente el llamado es claro, es sacar el corazón y darnos a conocer como lo que realmente somos, humanos llenos de bondad y amor, no creer lo que nos quieren hacer creer los politicos y poderes, promocionando la inseguridad y el aislamiento para no ser la unidad que debemos ser, porque juntos somos más fuertes, somos un todo, somos amor.
Un abrazo querido Vishen y gracias por brindar este espacio y ayudar al despertar de la consciencia en la unidad.
Muchísimas gracias por opinar sobre un tema tan delicado y atreverte a exponer tu opinión
Es importantísimo que pongamos a la vista este tipo de temas, en pos de mejorar y erradicar la violencia y la maldad de nuestro mundo… Siempre han habido épocas oscuras en la historia de la humanidad, y creo que es importante que desde todos los sectores nos hagamos eco y repudiemos esa oscuridad. Mucha luz y amor para todos..
I appreciate your article. What is happening in the US, let alone the world, is frightening right now, and I feel somewhat powerless with all of the different attacks coming at sections of our society. I do completely believe in human goodness, and it is what I have dedicated my life work to, however, I don’t want to be naiive in the face of what is happening. Being able to discuss this in community is helpful. Thank you for your bravery in writing about this.
Thank you, Vishen, for bringing these realities with such clarity and strenght! it moved me to read you.
100% agree.
I would add that this higher vision starts by finding it within. Love, goodness and compassion found within and then we can share it around us.
I am in shock at my Florida…how could The Diary of Anne Frank be banned? It is an absolute MUST to remember those innocents who lost their lives at the hands of evil. It may be hard to read, but we must always embrace TRUTH and have the courage to stomach it, and to teach from its position.
I condemn the culture of fear-mongering and cancellation. The hatred on both sides hurts my heart and angers me. I feel our society becoming ever more polarized, and we become more disconnected. Let’s pray for unity and understanding!
Estoy totalmente de acuerdo con lo expresado por Anna, que el amor hace caer cualquier barrera, es mas fuerte que el odio, aunque nos llenen de mensajes, diciendo lo contrario, haciendo ruido para parecer que son mas. Admiro tu coherencia y valentía en este articulo, así como también admiro las innumerables fortalezas de anna que pese a todo mantuvo su inocencia e integridad, valentía, voluntad, y sobre todo FE.
Gracias !!!
Gracias por este texto inspirador. En muchos lugares se está promoviendo el miedo, y debemos responder con amor. Como bien dicen: el que no conoce su historia está condenado a repetirla. Y entre tantas relativizaciones y señalamientos hacia el que no es como yo, hacia “el otro”, quizá sea pertinente recordar lo que hemos aprendido en los diferentes cursos de MindValley: el “otro” soy yo. Amor y Luz para el mayor bien de nuestra especie. Muchas Gracias!
Thank you for this Vishen, I totally agree with everything you say.
I am in the UK and this really resonates with that is happening here at the moment. We have so many charlatan politicians that conned the less educated into voting for the self harm of Brexit for their own profits and commercial interests and they are now doing it again with exactly the same racist, immigrant bashing rhetoric.
And because people are suffering after years of public services being starved by austerity while the rich have got much richer by slowly plundering the wealth of the country (and many of them are basically racist), they are happy to have a scapegoat to blame for their problems.
Some of the comments on here are ridiculous and i fear those people are beyond help – anyone that thinks at this point that Israel’s actions are anything other than a murderous, criminal extermination of an entire population has lost their humanity. And everyone knows it did not start on October 7th.
Cuando el exterminio de los Nazis, muchos no sabian lo que estaba ocurriendo, incluso los mismos alemanes, no sabían de la masacre de la aberración que se le tenía a esas personas Judías…y ahora que? Todos saben lo que esta pasando en Gaza, y sin careta, hasta se anuncian las próximas acciones antes que sucedan..pues ya avisan que van a bombardear.. que no tendrán acceso a alimentos..etc…y que ha sucedido….NADA…ahora la vedas se muestra frente a todos..
Y…no hacemos NADA…entonces que faltó aprender? Porque se repite…
Es increible y muy triste lo que a traves de los tiempos hemos vivido, Dios nos creo como seres perfectos y hemos dañado su creacion Deberiamos ser como lo describe Michael Jackson en una de sus canciones o John Lenon en Imagine, un mundo sin fronteras, sin religiones, sin raza. TODOS, iguales. Pero la busqueda de poder en esas mentes genozidas, han arruinado al mundo y lo han vuelto en un mundo cruel, sin sentimientos, sin dolor por el ser humano amigo, companero, vecino, por el hemano.. He vistado varias veces Amsterdam y nunca dejo de vistar y visitar la casa de Anna Frank, cada vez que la visito encuentro algo nuevo, y lo mas duro ver en sus letras, el dolor, el miedo y la busqueda a un cambio que despues de 80 años no ha llegado y cada vez es peor. No pensamos en la niñez, en los jovenes, en los ancianos. No!! y nada cambia. Solo le pido a Dios que nos perdone. Y esperamos que algun dia asi no lo veamos nosotros, llegue ese cambio, esa PAz, esa luz tan esperadas en el mundo entero y en la Humanidad. Gracias Vishen por crear Mindvalley y por este tema como otros que nos compartes. Un abrazo y mil grcs.
Dear Vishen and Mindvalley,
I’ve just read a comment stating that the comparison of today’s atrocities to that of the holocaust is unjust, resulting in the commenter’s prompt cancellation of their Mindvalley subscription. I can only imagine that you’ve anticipated such a response, and decided to proceed forward anyway. For that, you have my utmost respect. Toes will be stepped on. Feelings will be hurt. But ultimately, the message here is on the side of unity and humanity. As you have mentioned, our silence will not save us. Thank you for speaking up.
Thank you, Vishen. A beautiful and courageous message. What’s happening is sad and worrying. I think we can sow peace, love, appreciation, and respect for everyone at home, in our families. As parents, we have a duty to educate and guide toward peace; I’ve resolved to do this with my children. It’s also the duty of every leader in the organizational field to accept, respect, and maximize the talents of all people and to be very careful with words, which can elevate or destroy. Like Anne, despite everything, I’m certain that good will prevail and that most people are good.
Vishen, seguía tus programas, porque me parecías una personas imparcial e integra, pero ahora decidiste unirte al bando equivocado, sacaste de contexto lo dicho por los altos mandos de Israel, uniéndote a los que siembran el odio y el antisemitismo.