We come together today in memory of the most heinous crime inflicted upon humankind – the systematic murder of 6 million jews and other groups – Gypsy, Roma, disabled and LGBT people – during the Holocaust.
Today marks Holocaust Memorial Day and the 78th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenhau in 1945. I have visited the death camp on several occasions, and each time, been tremendously moved and shaken at the scale of evil perpetrated by man upon their fellow human beings.
British Jews across this island, including in my own constituency of Liverpool Wavertree, will today be lighting a candle in quiet reflection and in tribute to their people who, on this European continent, endured so much, and indeed lost so much at the hands of Nazi Genocide.
The story of the Holocaust did not begin with Genocide. It began with the dehumanisation of an entire people that went unchecked until enough people developed an immunity to a hatred allowed to fester and permeate an entire society.
The theme for this Holocaust Memorial Day is ‘ordinary people’.
After all, Genocide is facilitated by ordinary people. Ordinary people turn a blind eye, believe propaganda, join murderous regimes. And those who are persecuted, oppressed and murdered in genocide aren’t persecuted because of crimes they’ve committed – they are persecuted simply because they are ordinary people who belong to a particular group.
I want to end by thanking the Holocaust Educational Trust for all the work they do all year round in facilitating education and awareness around the Holocaust.
