Good and evil roam the earth side-by-side. So, it wouldn’t be wrong to say the world can never be an utterly wretched place without hope/goodness. In this article, we will share a true story that reveals the miseries of Jews during the Nazi period and how a Muslim doctor helped the Jews by hiding them. We’ll also share in-depth details about the doctor’s struggles during the horrific Nazi movement. To learn more, continue reading.
Mohammad Helmy was an Egyptian. He was born in a Muslim family who resided in Khartoum. Dr. Mohamad Helmy completed his early education in Egypt. In 1922, Helmy moved to Berlin, Germany, to study medicine. After completing his studies, Dr. Helmy worked as an assistant at the Robert Koch Hospital in Berlin, USA., when Nazi’s launched the holocaust,
Dr. Mohamad Helmy was working as an assistant for a senior German Jewish physician. However, due to the holocaust, the Jewish doctors were fired from the hospital in 1933. As a result, Dr. Helmy was promoted to the head of the urology department.
Although Helmy got promoted to a superior rank, it is essential to remember that the Nazis didn’t like him much. Due to this reason, in 1938, Dr. Helmy was also dismissed from the hospital. Dr. Helmy not only lost his job, but he also couldn’t marry the woman he was soon to marry. He was engaged to Anne Ernst, who was a German national. But luckily enough, Anne and Helmy were married later and spent their remaining lives with each other.
Dr. Mohammad Helmy spent quite some time in prison because he criticized the Nazi tactics so abruptly. One German archive confirmed that Helmy, alongside other Egyptians, was imprisoned in 1939 as well as in 1940. But, due to poor health, he was released from prison the following year.
Dr. Mohamad Helmy was never a fan of the Nazi’s dealing. However, after observing their injustices, the doctor turned completely against them. When Helmy saw that the Jews were not given fundamental medical treatment, he decided that he would not sit still and watch the Jews suffer.
Helmy was confident that what was happening to the Jewish community was wrong on multiple levels. So, Dr. Mohamad Helmy made up his mind to speak against the prejudices and provide medical care to the unwell Jewish people.
Besides this, he also hid the Jews who were seeking shelter from the Nazis in his home. And once the threat had subsided, Dr. Helmy made arrangements for the transfer of refugees to a safe location. Helmy also sought help from a close friend, Frieda Szturmann, who also hid the refugees at her home for protection.
Dr. Helmy risked himself to save Jewish people from needless death. It is why in 2013, the Commission for the Designation of the Righteous added Dr. Mohamed Helmy’s name to the honorable list of righteous.
It is heart-wrenching to know that Egyptians and even some Jews don’t acknowledge the hardships the doctor endured to ensure the Jewish people’s safety. Due to Dr. Mohamad Helmy’s remarkable efforts, he was able to save several Jewish lives. For this reason, he became the first Arab to have his name on the list of righteous.
We suggest you to visit the Friends of Zion Museum in Jerusalem for other tales of righteous people who saved Jews.
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