SOPHIE SCHOLL (MAY 9, 1921–FEB 22, 1943): TO IDEALOGUES BITING THE CHILLI

On February 22, 1943, Sophie Scholl and her brother, Hans, were convicted of treason by a Nazi judge, Roland Freisler, for distributing anti-war leaflets at the University of Munich. In a Germany where Nazi ideology ran amuck, fuelled by Hitler’s hilarious promise of a thousand-year Reich, dissent was met by ideological and cowardly brutality.

Sophie was 21. The same day, she and Hans were guillotined. The girl faced the falling blade, unflinching and fearless to the end. Her story mirrors the present. It reminds the rising ideologues in Malaysia and beyond to give it a rest and spare yourselves and your descendants the shame of being footnotes in history’s hall of disgrace.

In her final days, she left a message, a plethora of vocabulary knives aimed at those (the writer inclusive) biting the proverbial chilli:

“The real damage is done by those millions who want to ‘survive.’ The honest men who just want to be left in peace.

Those who do not want their little lives disturbed by anything bigger than themselves. Those with no sides and no causes.

Those who will not take measure of their own strength for fear of antagonising their own weakness. Those who do not like to make waves or enemies. Those for whom freedom, honour, truth, and principles are only literature.

Those who live small, mate small, die small. It is the reductionist approach to life: if you keep it small, you will keep it under control. If you do not make any noise, the bogeyman will not find you.

But it is all an illusion because they die too, those people who roll up their spirits into tiny little balls so as to be safe. Safe?! From what?

Life is always on the edge of death; narrow streets lead to the same place as wide avenues, and a little candle burns itself out just like a flaming torch does. I choose my own way to burn.”

Peace!

Tommy Peters linktr.ee/tommypeters

Postscript: The writer is guilty of Lashon Hara (Evil Speech), which equates speaking poorly of others to murder because words, once spoken, cannot be undone and such speech wounds the speaker as much as the subject. Peace again!

@_sophiescholl @the_white_rose_leaflets @pakatanharapan @barisannasionalrasmi @paspusat