The first step to genocide isn’t the killing

Genocide begins with fear and false accusations that turn victims into threats. Understanding this tactic is the first step in stopping it

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Most genocides begin long before any killing starts. They begin with a lie.

Perpetrators understand that decent people assume others are honest, so they weaponize that trust. One of the most effective tools is a tactic called Accusation in a Mirror. If we want “never again” to mean something, we need to understand how this tactic works and how easily it turns ordinary people into supporters of mass violence.

Genocide is the ultimate evil. After the Holocaust, the world said “never again,” yet we continue to witness it. Most people want to do what is right, but genocidaires count on our reluctance to see malice in others. They convince the public that the victims are the true threat.

French psychologist Roger Mucchielli identified Accusation in a Mirror in 1970. It involves accusing the intended victim of committing the very crime the perpetrator has already planned. The tactic works because it creates fear and confusion. People act against their better nature when they believe their survival is at stake.

History shows how effective this can be. Nazi propagandist Josef Goebbels claimed Jews were plotting to destroy Germany and urged citizens to act in “self-defence.” Hutu leaders in Rwanda portrayed Tutsis as the danger, insisting violence was necessary to prevent their own destruction. The pattern is unmistakable: accuse, terrify, mobilize.

A similar psychology has appeared in other forms of racial violence. Under Jim Crow, white men committed assaults against black women with impunity, then projected their own crimes by accusing black men of lusting after white women. Those false accusations helped justify countless lynchings. Jim Crow was not genocide, but the tactic was the same. Lies about existential threats create permission for brutality.

We see the tactic again in modern genocides. ISIS portrayed the Yazidis, a small religious minority in northern Iraq, as “devil worshippers” and a threat to nearby communities. This lie helped justify mass executions, sexual enslavement and the forced conversion of children. Myanmar’s military described Rohingya civilians, a Muslim minority in Rakhine State, as terrorists set on seizing territory. That narrative fuelled mass killings, village burnings and widespread displacement. Chinese authorities have labelled Uyghurs, a Turkic Muslim minority in Xinjiang, as extremists and separatists. Those accusations have been used to justify mass internment, forced sterilization, family separation and forced labour.

In each case, victims were accused of the very crimes that human-rights investigators and independent observers have documented the state or militia committing.

Genocide does not begin with weapons. It begins with words. It succeeds when people accept accusations without asking whether there is evidence. Once fear takes hold, reason and empathy collapse.

This is why critical thinking is essential. When we hear sweeping claims about any group, we need to ask basic questions. Does verifiable evidence support the accusation? Is it an accusation or a confession? What does international law say? These questions do not protect only the accused. They protect the public from being manipulated into supporting actions they would normally reject.

We also need to confront a hard truth. The world has no reliable way to enforce international law, and the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court often issue findings that have little impact. Perpetrators know this and act with confidence that accountability is unlikely.

Decent people have more power than they think. Genocidaires depend on fear, confusion and silence. They need ordinary people to believe their lies. They need good people to hesitate. When that hesitation disappears, their influence weakens.

We know the tactic. We know how it works. If we learn to question accusations, demand evidence and resist being driven by fear, we strengthen the first line of defence against mass violence. “Never again” will not be achieved through words alone. It will be achieved when ordinary people refuse to be manipulated into seeing victims as enemies.

Gerry Chidiac specializes in languages and genocide studies and works with at-risk students. He received an award from the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre for excellence in teaching about the Holocaust.