MID WORCESTERSHIRE MP Nigel Huddleston has reaffirmed his commitment to Holocaust Memorial Day by signing a special Book of Commitment.
Mr Huddleston also paid tribute to the extraordinary Holocaust survivors who worked tirelessly to educate young people today about the atrocity.
Today marks the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration and death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, which is the site of the largest mass murder in history.
In the lead up to and on Holocaust Memorial Day, thousands of commemorative events have been arranged by schools, faith groups and community organisations across the country, remembering all the victims of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides.
The theme for this year’s commemorations is ‘The power of words’.
Mr Huddleston said: “Holocaust Memorial Day is an important opportunity for people to reflect on the tragic events of the Holocaust.
“As the Holocaust moves from living history to just history, it becomes ever more important that we take the time to remember the victims and the events they suffered through.
“It is also a chance to pay tribute to the extraordinary survivors who work tirelessly to educate young people today about what happened during the Holocaust.
“This year’s theme of ‘The power of words’ is a particularly poignant one given the recent rise in hate-filled abuse, particularly on social media.
“The Holocaust started not in the gas chambers but with hate-filled words and now more than ever, we must all play our part in standing up to prejudice and calling out abuse wherever we see it.”
Karen Pollock MBE, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said: “Our mission is to educate young people from every background about the Holocaust and its contemporary relevance.”
She added she was grateful to the MPs for signing the Book of Commitment to remember the victims of the Holocaust and for challenging antisemitism, prejudice and bigotry in all its forms.
