With 27th January marking the 65th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration and extermination camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Holocaust Educational Trust placed a Book of Commitment in the House of Commons to give MPs the opportunity to remember those who were persecuted and murdered during the Holocaust - and to support a 'Legacy of Hope', learning from Survivors' experiences to help create a future free from hatred and prejudice.
In doing so, Stephen paid tribute to those remarkable individuals who survived the appalling events of the Holocaust and have since dedicated their lives to educating younger generations about the dangers of allowing persecution and intolerance to take hold in society.
Stephen said, "I visited Austwitz-Birkenau in September 1992 when inter-railing. It was a cold bleak day and there were very few other visitors. But I have never been able to forget what I saw in the displays at the Auschwitz camp, including the discarded personal items, execution and punishment areas and the exhibition about children. The scale of the Birkenhau death camp was also staggering. The Holocaust was an attack on many minority groups. I have also visited the marble pink triangle in Amsterdam which commemorates the gay victims of Nazi persecution."
On and around Holocaust Memorial Day, schools, local communities and faith groups from across the UK will join together to mark Holocaust Memorial Day. Thousands of events are being held across the country to commemorate all those who suffered at the hands of the Nazis during the Holocaust and in subsequent genocides. The aim of the day is to motivate people - individually and collectively, to ensure that the horrendous crimes, racism and victimisation committed during the Holocaust and subsequent genocides are neither forgotten nor repeated. This year is the ninth year that Holocaust Memorial Day has been commemorated in the UK.
Stephen Williams concluded, "Holocaust Survivors are extraordinary people. We have a duty to them to pass on the lessons of the Holocaust to future generations. Holocaust Memorial Day gives us an opportunity to reflect on the legacy of Holocaust Survivors, to commemorate the millions who died under Hitler's regime and to commit to a future free from racism and discrimination."
Karen Pollock, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust said, "We are delighted that Stephen Williams MP is supporting Holocaust Memorial Day. Remembering and learning about the Holocaust is more important now than ever before. This year's theme, 'The Legacy of Hope' highlights the important role young people have to play in taking the Survivors' mantle forward and educating their peers about the Holocaust."
