The fallout from the hatred shown in the last century is still with us, he said. Think of all the wars that are still ravaging the world, and the terrorism. Using the Nazi propaganda of World War II as an example, Wiesel said fanatics typically have limited vocabularies, no ideas, and use vulgarity to foster their hatred. A fanatic wants power the power to destroy, not to build, he claimed. What they want is to destabilize our moral structure.
Hatred creates hatred.
Hatred and humanity do not go together. Wiesel said fanaticism kills the mind, heart and eventually humanity, but contended that memories of the Holocaust and other atrocities can safeguard people from perpetuating hatred. I still believe in words. They can become carriers of compassion or hate. They can move us to despair or to hope.