Olketa Winim Persecution
FRIEDA JESS hem born long 1911 long Denmark, wea bihaen hem and parents bilong hem muv go long Husum, north Germany. Samfala year bihaen, hem kasem waka long Magdeburg, and long 1930 hem baptaes olsem wanfala Bible Student, wea hem nem bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long datfala taem. Hitler kasem paoa long 1933, and for Frieda, diswan startim 23 year bilong persecution anda long tufala totalitarian gavman wea kamap.
Long March 1933, gavman bilong Germany organizem wanfala election. Dr. Detlef Garbe, big boss bilong Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial klosap long Hamburg, hem explainim: “National Socialists laek forcem staka for saportim chancellor and leader bilong olketa, Adolf Hitler.” Olketa Jehovah’s Witness followim kaonsel bilong Jesus for no teksaed long politik and for “no part bilong world,” so olketa no vote. Wanem nao kamaot from diswan? Gavman tambuim olketa Witness.—John 17:16.
Frieda go ahed for duim haed Christian waka bilong hem, hem help tu for printim Wastaoa magasin. Hem sei: “Olketa tekem go haed samfala magasin insaed long olketa concentration camp for olketa brata bilong mifala.” Olketa arrestim Frieda long 1940 and olketa secret police kwestinim hem, wea bihaen olketa putim hem stap seleva long wanfala cell for samfala month. Hao nao hem fit for stand strong? Hem sei: “Prea nao protectim mi. Mi prea early long morning and staka taem insaed long day. Prea hem givim mi strong and helpem mi for no wari tumas.”—Philippians 4:6, 7.
Olketa aotem Frieda from prison, bat long 1944 olketa secret police arrestim hem moa. Distaem olketa panisim hem for stap seven year long Waldheim prison. Frieda go ahed for sei: “Olketa prison gard putim mi for waka witim samfala nara woman long olketa ples for waswas. Mi staka taem stap witim wanfala prisoner from Czechoslovakia, so planti taem mi storyim Jehovah and faith bilong mi long hem. Olketa story hia keepim mi strong long faith.”
Kamap Free bat for Lelebet Taem Nomoa
Army bilong Russia openem Waldheim prison long May 1945, and Frieda kamap free for go bak long Magdeburg and duim pablik ministry, bat for lelebet taem nomoa. Olketa Witness kasem moa persecution, bat distaem from olketa bigman long olketa ples wea Russia tekovarem. Gerald Hacke bilong Hannah-Arendt-Institute for Research Into Totalitarianism hem raet: “Olketa Jehovah’s Witness wanfala long olketa tu-thri smol grup wea go ahed for kasem persecution from tufala raf rul wea kamap long Germany.”
Why nao olketa go ahed moa for persecutim olketa Witness? Olsem bifor, main reason hem from Christian fasin bilong olketa for no teksaed. Long 1948, pipol long East Germany duim wanfala vote, and olsem Hacke hem explainim, “main samting wea kosim [wei for persecutim Olketa Jehovah’s Witness] hem from olketa no vote.” Long August 1950, gavman tambuim Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long East Germany. Olketa arrestim staka handred Witness, wea Frieda tu wanfala.
Olsem bifor, olketa kotem Frieda moa and givim hem panis bilong six year long prison. “Distaem, mi stap witim olketa Witness, and wei for kaban witim olketa hem barava helpem mi.” Taem hem kamap free long 1956, hem muv go long West Germany. Distaem Frieda hem 90 year and hem stap long Husum, wea hem go ahed for servem trufala God, Jehovah.
Frieda kasem persecution for 23 year anda long tufala raf rul. “Olketa Nazi trae for spoelem mi long physical wei; olketa bilong Communist trae for spoelem loyal fasin bilong mi. From wea nao mi kasem strong? Gudfala wei for studyim Bible taem mi free yet, wei for prea evritaem taem mi stap seleva, luk aotem evri chance for kaban witim olketa nara Witness, and sharem wanem mi bilivim witim nara pipol.”
Fascism Long Hungary
Narafala kantri wea Olketa Jehovah’s Witness kasem staka year bilong persecution hem Hungary. Samfala kasem persecution anda long, no tufala totalitarian rul, bat thrifala. Wanfala example hem Ádám Szinger. Ádám hem born long Paks, Hungary, long 1922 and famili bilong hem Protestant. Long 1937 samfala Bible Student visitim Ádám long haos bilong hem, and hem stretawe interest long message bilong olketa. Samting hem lanem from Bible mekem hem luksavve teaching bilong church bilong hem no kam from Bible. So hem lusim Protestant Church and joinim olketa Bible Student long pablik ministry bilong olketa.
Fascism hem kakamap for kasem paoa long datfala taem long Hungary. Samfala taem, olketa police lukluk long Ádám taem hem preach from haos tu haos and olketa tekem hem for askem hem samfala kwestin. Olketa Witness kasem moa hevi and gogo, long 1939, olketa tambuim waka bilong olketa. Long 1942, olketa arrestim Ádám, putim hem long prison, and whipim hem nogud. Wanem nao helpem hem, taem hem 19 year nomoa, for stand strong taem hem safa and insaed prison for staka month? “Taem mi stap yet long haos, mi studyim gud Bible and start for savve gud long olketa purpose bilong Jehovah.” Bihaen hem aot from prison nao hem just baptaes olsem wanfala Witness bilong Jehovah. Diswan kamap long naet bilong August 1942, long river klosap haos bilong hem.
Prison Long Hungary, Labor Camp Long Serbia
Long taem bilong mek-tu world war, Hungary joinim Germany for againstim Soviet Union, and long 1942, gavman chusim Ádám for joinim army. Hem sei: “Mi talem hao, from wanem mi lanem long Bible, mi bae no joinim army. Mi explainim wei wea mi no teksaed.” Olketa panisim hem for 11 year long prison. Bat Ádám no stap longtaem long Hungary.
Long 1943, olketa hipimap samting olsem 160 Jehovah’s Witness, putim olketa long olketa barge, and tekem olketa long Serbia thru long Danube River. Ádám tu wanfala. Long Serbia, olketa prisoner hia stap nao anda long rul bilong Hitler. Olketa keepim olketa insaed long labor camp long Bor and forcem olketa for waka long wanfala copper mine. Samting olsem wan year bihaen, olketa tekem olketa go bak long Hungary, wea olketa Soviet army letem Ádám go free long 1945.
Communist Rul Long Hungary
Bat freedom hem for short taem nomoa. Klosap long year 1950, olketa bigman bilong Communist long Hungary stopem waka bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness, olsem olketa Fascist duim bifor war. From hem no willing for joinim army, long 1952 olketa arrestim Ádám wea distaem hem 29 year and marit witim tufala pikinini. Ádám explainim long kot: “Diswan hem no firstaem for mi no willing for joinim army. Long taem bilong war, mi go long prison and olketa tekem mi go long Serbia for disfala sem reason. Mi no willing for joinim army bikos long conscience bilong mi. Mi wanfala Witness bilong Jehovah, and mi no teksaed long politik.” Olketa panisim Ádám for eit year long prison, wea bihaen olketa katem daon for fofala year.
Ádám go ahed for kasem persecution go kasem samting olsem 1975, wea diswan winim 35 year bihaen olketa Bible Student firstaem visitim haos bilong dadi and mami bilong hem. Insaed full taem hia, sixfala kot panisim hem for 23 year long prison, hem stap insaed winim tenfala prison and camp. Hem stand strong long staka persecution anda long thrifala difren kaen rul—Fascists long Hungary bifor war, German National Socialists long Serbia, and Communism long Hungary bihaen war.
Ádám stap yet long homtaon bilong hem long Paks, wea hem servem God long loyal wei. Waswe, hem garem spesol savve wea mekem hem fit for winim olketa hard taem hem feisim? Nomoa. Hem explainim olsem:
“Bible study, prea, and wei for kaban witim olketa wea sem biliv olsem iu hem barava important. Bat mi laek for mekhae long tufala nara samting. Firstaem, Jehovah nao Givim strong. Wei for fren klos witim hem nao helpem mi. And mek-tu samting, mi tingim Romans chapter 12 evritaem, wea hem sei: ‘No pei bak.’ So mi nating keepim kros. Staka taem mi garem chance for pei bak long olketa wea persecutim mi, bat mi nating duim. Iumi shud no iusim strong wea Jehovah givim iumi for peim bak nogud samting witim nogud samting.”
End Bilong Evri Persecution
Frieda and Ádám distaem free for worshipim Jehovah. Bat, wanem nao olketa experience olsem bilong tufala showimaot abaotem persecution saed long religion? Hem showimaot wei wea evri persecution againstim olketa tru Christian kanduit win. Nomata persecution againstim olketa Jehovah’s Witness hem tekem staka taem and strong and kosim bigfala wei for safa, olketa nating kasem goal bilong olketa. Distaem, olketa Jehovah’s Witness go ahed gud long Europe, ples wea tufala main raf rul wantaem holem paoa.
Wanem nao olketa Witness duim taem olketa kasem persecution? Olsem story bilong Frieda and Ádám showimaot, olketa followim Bible kaonsel: “No letem nogud fasin hem winim iu, bat winim nogud fasin witim gud fasin.” (Romans 12:21) Waswe, gud fasin savve really winim nogud fasin? Yes, taem hem join witim strong faith long God. Wei wea olketa Jehovah’s Witness winim persecution long Europe hem showimaot paoa bilong spirit bilong God, hem example bilong wei wea holy spirit givim gud samting nomoa from faith bilong olketa hambol Christian. (Galatians 5:22, 23) Long raf world distaem, diswan hem wanfala leson evriwan mas ting hevi long hem.
[Olketa Piksa long page 5]
Frieda Jess (distaem Thiele) long taem olketa arrestim hem and distaem
[Olketa Piksa long page 7]
Ádám Szinger long prison and distaem