27 January is Holocaust Memorial Day, marking the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz Birkenau,the largest Nazi death camp in occupied Poland. where 1.6 million men, women children were killed in the holocaust The day aims to remind people of the crimes and loss of life and
encourage remembrance in a world scarred by genocide and prevent it
ever being forgotten
“For the dead and the living, we must bear witness.”
Elie
went on to write a number of books about his own personal story and
that of the Holocaust (also known as 'the Shoah’ in Hebrew) in general,
and his works — along with the likes of Primo Levi (author of If This Is A Man)
and Anne Frank, whose diary is famous across the world — are some of
the most defining stories of that era. They are books I would implore
everyone to read, especially as a 2021 study
found that over half of Britons did not know that six million Jewish
people were murdered during the Holocaust, and less than a quarter
thought that two million or fewer were killed.
And though it is easy to leave history in the past, events like The Holocaust
must be remembered — they must be remembered out of respect for those
who lost their lives, for those who overcame the most severe form of
persecution and went on to become productive members of the communities
in which they settled and for those who are yet to even step foot on
this planet. We must, as Elie Wiesel says, “bear witness” to these
events, and pass their stories and their lessons onto the next
generation, so that we can avoid such horrors happening again.
There is no doubt in my mind that the Holocaust was the greatest crime
of the 20th century because of the sheer scale of the premeditated and
industrialized murder of six million Jews alongside hundreds
of thousands of others were targeted by Hitler's regime - including
trade unionists, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transpeople, (LGBT) gypsies,
disabled people and the mentally ill, and others attacked for their
race or simply being different.
Survivors recount horrific examples of
ethnic
cleansing, torture, cruelty and savagery, often corroborated by the Nazi
hierarchy’s meticulous recording of the whole truly awful
scenario.
International Holocaust Remembrance Day is a stark reminder of
where
hate and antisemitism can lead if not countered. Worryingly, this year’s
commemoration efforts will take place against a backdrop
of rising antisemitism. racism and Holocaust distortion all over the world.
This year’s theme for Holocaust Memorial Day is Ordinary People. Ordinary
People were involved in all aspects of the Holocaust, Nazi persecution
of other groups, and in genocides that took place in Cambodia, Rwanda,
Bosnia and Darfur. Ordinary People were perpetrators, bystanders,
rescuers, witnesses - and Ordinary People were victims.The theme for Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) 2023, set by the Holocaust
Memorial Day Trust (HMDT) highlights the humanity of the Holocaust victims and survivors, who had their home and sense of belonging ripped from them by the perpetrators of the Holocaust.
Let's not forget that the Holocaust could never have taken
place without the willing participation of many millions of ‘ordinary
people’. In the years leading up to the Holocaust, Nazi policies and
propaganda deliberately encouraged divisions within German society –
urging ‘Aryan’ Germans to keep themselves separate from their Jewish
neighbours. The Holocaust, Nazi Persecution of other groups and each
subsequent genocide, was enabled by ordinary citizens not standing with
their targeted neighbours.
In Germany, many individuals who were not ardent Nazis nonetheless participated in varying degrees in the persecution and murder of Jews, the Roma, the disabled, homosexuals and political prisoners.
There is no better example than the ordinary men of the Reserve Police Battalion 101. Five hundred policemen, most from Hamburg, most in their 30s and 40s - too old for conscription into the army.
Men who, before the war, had been professional policemen, as well as businessmen, dockworkers, truck drivers, construction workers, machine operators, waiters, pharmacists, and teachers. Only a minority were members of the Nazi Party and only a few belonged to the SS.
During their stay in Poland, these ordinary men participated in the shootings, or the transport to the Treblinka gas chambers, of at least 83,000 Jews.Ordinary people were witnesses; many cheered on the active participants in persecution and violence.
Sadly, most, ordinary people remained silent.
In Germany, many individuals who were not ardent Nazis nonetheless participated in varying degrees in the persecution and murder of Jews, the Roma, the disabled, homosexuals and political prisoners.
There is no better example than the ordinary men of the Reserve Police Battalion 101. Five hundred policemen, most from Hamburg, most in their 30s and 40s - too old for conscription into the army.
Men who, before the war, had been professional policemen, as well as businessmen, dockworkers, truck drivers, construction workers, machine operators, waiters, pharmacists, and teachers. Only a minority were members of the Nazi Party and only a few belonged to the SS.
During their stay in Poland, these ordinary men participated in the shootings, or the transport to the Treblinka gas chambers, of at least 83,000 Jews.Ordinary people were witnesses; many cheered on the active participants in persecution and violence.
Sadly, most, ordinary people remained silent.
It may be another day in our calendar but we must commit every day to create a better future so that one day, all people are free from oppression and persecution. Increasing levels of denial, division and misinformation in today’s
world means we must remain ever vigilant against hatred and identity-based
hostility.
The utterly unprecedented times through
which we are living currently are showing thankfully the very best of which
humanity is capable but also - in some of the abuse and conspiracy
theories being spread on social media - the much darker side of our
world as well.
We must remember that genocidal regimes throughout history that have
deliberately fractured societies by marginalising certain groups, and
how these tactics can be challenged by individuals standing together
with their neighbours, and speaking out against oppression and all forms
of racism and discrimination. The Holocaust is not just a Jewish
tragedy, but it is a lesson to all of
us, of all faiths in all times and a continuing reminder to stand with
“others” when their rights and freedoms face attack.
Let 's not forget that the Holocaust did not appear out of thin air, it
was built on hatred for "the other," politically weaponized by those
seeking ever more power. As politicians today say' never again 'some are
walking down that same path. Today there are still those that are
stoking up increasing division in communities across the UK and
the world.
We must oppose all attempts to divide us along the lines of race, religion
or ethnicity.
In recent years, Muslims. Roma and refugees have all faced fascist hate,and
communities are victimised by the far right. As openly nazis appallingly
revel in the crimes of the Holocaust, now more than ever, we need to stand
together with others in
our communities in order to stop division and the spread of
identity-based hostility in our society.
Shockingly Michael
Gove has defended his Cabinet colleague Suella Braverman over her
interaction with a Holocaust survivor in which she refused to apologise
for describing migrants crossing the Channel as an “invasion”.
When
asked at a Holocaust Memorial Day event about the encounter, the
Levelling Up Secretary said he had not seen the full exchange, which was
caught on video, but was a “big admirer” of Ms Braverman’s policies.
Survivor
Joan Salter, 83, was seen in a four-minute clip confronting Ms
Braverman and likening her language on migrants attempting to cross the
English Channel to that used by the Nazis.
Somehow human beings around the world are still capable of so much hate, but we
should work together to prevent this. Remember those who have resisted,
shown bravery and courage and question those that use hostile language which only serves to sow division and harm.
Let us also today think about those people who are also facing genocide today; The
Uighur Muslims in China, The Rohingya in Myanmar and the
Palestinian people .
We should never forget where hatred and bigotry can lead. There
can never be anytime for passivity, and we must stand strong against
the dark forces of intolerance, bigotry, racism and division and all that
create them.When we remember the Holocaust, the words “never again” must mean exactly that.
On Holocaust Memorial Day, Here is a list of some other places and people that the world sometimes forgets.
Cambodia,
Darfur,
Siebrenica,
Karabakh,
Liberia,
Sudan,
Holodonor,
Armenia,
the ethnic cleansing of indigeneous Palestinians,
The Indigeneous Peoples of America,
Checknya,
Congo,
India
and the genocide of slavery
and on and on and on.
Sadly there will always be individuals, organisations and regimes who want to exploit differences for their own ends and we must have the courage to speak out against hatred and intolerance where we see this happening. In a world which is increasingly fractured, where we have some leaders that are more interested in promoting division than harmony, it is vital we remember that there is far more that unites than divides the human race, to prevent a repeat of the horrors of the past, lets strive to work for equality , peace and justice for the whole of mankind. Be the light in the darkness.
Cambodia,
Darfur,
Siebrenica,
Karabakh,
Liberia,
Sudan,
Holodonor,
Armenia,
the ethnic cleansing of indigeneous Palestinians,
The Indigeneous Peoples of America,
Checknya,
Congo,
India
and the genocide of slavery
and on and on and on.
Sadly there will always be individuals, organisations and regimes who want to exploit differences for their own ends and we must have the courage to speak out against hatred and intolerance where we see this happening. In a world which is increasingly fractured, where we have some leaders that are more interested in promoting division than harmony, it is vital we remember that there is far more that unites than divides the human race, to prevent a repeat of the horrors of the past, lets strive to work for equality , peace and justice for the whole of mankind. Be the light in the darkness.
