Local MP Katy Clark showed her commitment to Holocaust Memorial Day by signing a Book of Commitment in the House of Commons to honour those who perished in the Holocaust.
The Holocaust Educational Trust placed the Book of Commitment in the House of Commons to give MPs the opportunity to pledge that they will uphold the memory of the Holocaust and oppose hatred today.
Katy said, “It is vital that we pay our respects to those who stood up and spoke out against the atrocities that occurred during that most dreadful time. Their courage to do such things like hiding and protecting others or joining resistance movements such as The White Rose is an inspiration to everyone to stand up and speak out against hatred.”
January 27th marks the anniversary of the liberation in 1945 of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the infamous concentration and extermination camp.
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 more recent genocides. Ultimately the aim of the day is to motivate people – individually and collectively, to ensure that the horrendous crimes, racism and victimization committed during the Holocaust and subsequent genocides are neither forgotten nor repeated again.
This year is the ninth year that the anniversary of the liberation of the camp has been officially commemorated in the UK. In 2005, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the day passing the Holocaust Memorial Day resolution.
Katy stated, “This memorial day has lessons for us all. The qualities and bravery shown by those during the Second World War are just as important now if we are to overcome the hatreds that plague our world. And I urge everyone to take a moment and reflect, remember, and embrace the courage shown during that time to ensure we continue to fight against hatred.”