In order to unify their followers, both blamed economic troubles on the nations that opposed them and on certain people groups within their own territory. Hitler gassed the Jews in the largest genocide in history. Blaming minority groups is not new. Examples include Pogroms against and Islamic . Some comparisons can even be made with the .
Religious opposition was met with attempts to have state control over appointed offices. Hitler required all church leaders to sign an allegiance to the Nazi regime or face severe punishment. was one who paid for his refusal with his life as part of the long struggle of the . Hussein's required the submission of the Shiite majority to his secular Baathist branch of the Sunni minority. Those Shiites who rebelled were massacred, as was demonstrated in his advance into Northern Kuwait. Both Hitler and Hussein's claimed to be faithful adherents to their religion, i.e., Christianity and Islam. They twisted scriptures which served their to their own destruction. As for a Biblical response to Hitler, "If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book" (Rev.22:18). Hitler prophesied the Third Reich would be a millennium reign - an illusion to the millennium reign prophesied in Revelation chapter 20.
Both leaders lied to the world community to appease them while continuing their military designs. Hitler lied for years about the extent of his military hardware and number of troops, until he eventually came out completely unashamed of the fact that he had violated the international treaty. Hussein, likewise, violated the “no fly zones” imposed after the Gulf War and when accused of having weapons of mass destruction (WMD) Saddam refused to give the adequate information needed to the outside world about this topic. Both men not only violated international treaties, but were unashamed and even proud of the fact that they had duped the world. Prime Minister Chamberlain of England thought appeasement would satisfy Hitler. The United Nations put restrictions on Hussein that were in effect appeasements since they had no consequence for violations. .
Another similarity was the international response to these men. During Hitler’s aggression, other Europeans realized they would need help to stop Germany from taking over different parts of Europe. However, Europe had an extremely hard time convincing America to join their coalition against Germany even though Germany had broken the Versailles Treaty. Isolationist America felt that it shouldn’t be in a war that they had very little to do with, and that they should just stay out of Europe's affairs. In fact, it was only after America was attacked at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii by Japanese kamikaze pilots that she decided to join in on the war- thus it became World War II. Interesting comparisons can be made with , as they brought the USA into war in 1945 and 2001.
During Saddam's aggressive violations of UN resolutions, the United States repeatedly called for international action to enforce the resolutions. However, the U.S. had an extremely hard time convincing Europe's anti-war, pro-Arab community. Finally, one day after the September 11, 2001 attacks by terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon, U.S. President George W. Bush challenged the United Nations to swiftly enforce its own resolutions against Iraq. If not, Bush contended, the U.S. would have no choice but to act on its own against Iraq. Eventually, a coalition of a few brave nations gave Hussein a 48-hour deadline to leave Iraq and spare his people, but he refused. On March 20, 2003 bombs dropped on Iraq. Many European countries didn’t feel it was their “responsibility” to fight in Iraq and didn’t like the fact that President Bush went ahead with it anyway, which is ironic considering the reversing roles from the time of World War II to the time of the Iraqi war. The irrelevancy of the had come full circle. Even when Hitler had advanced into neighboring countries, there was controversial responses as some felt it was Germany's right of national self-determination to annex Germans in Poland, Austria and Czechoslovakia.
Both of these dictators preached, “fight to death” to their soldiers, which is interesting because neither leader did so themselves. In a display of cowardice, both men went into hiding while their armies continued a losing battle. Once Hitler realized his army had lost and his capture was immanent, he committed suicide on May 1, 1945. Although he took a different route than Hitler, Hussein’s way out was just as defeatist. Saddam's hiding place was revealed by two thankful Iraqi's who had received medical assistance from American soldiers even while they were under fire. Saddam was led out of his “spider-hole” on December 13, 2003.
No one has ever disregarded the law of God and not paid a significant price for it (Romans 6:23). World history offers too many examples: , Pol Pot, and 's. The world can only hope, and pray, that the future leaders of all countries would learn from the arrogance and lack of love for mankind displayed by Hussein and Hitler. It is certain there will be those who believe they can get away lying, cheating, and murder and not pay a price. It’s tragic that the sins of one man can so affect the lives of millions of others.
Christians living under regimes like these take courage from a verse in Ephesians 6:12, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places”. They believe God's promise that "greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world". Indeed, when looking for God to fulfill His promise of Romans 8:28, Christians trust that "all things work together for them that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose." Even though God fearing Jews were slaughtered in Hitler's Holocaust, God worked out His purpose to regather the nation of Israel. Even though Saddam fired missiles at Israel without provocation, God used it to strengthen Israeli defense systems. Yet Saddam continued to channel a gift of $25,000 through for each family who sent a suicide bomber to murder Israeli civilians. Hitler used national wealth to murder the Jews. Saddam used national wealth to help Arafat murder the Jews. Not unlike the indoctrination of Spartan youth and Nazi youth, Saddam and Arafat elevated the status of children wearing suicide bombs into national heroes.
Hatred for Jews was the most significant motivation that Adolf Hitler and Saddam Hussein shared. Thus they followed the pattern of Psalms 2:2-6
The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, [saying], Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
These leaders moved against the Jews and were destroyed. What will become of the United Nations whose flag was placed to half mast at the death of Arafat?
