West Dunbartonshire’s MP Martin Docherty-Hughes has marked Holocaust Memorial Day 2023 in parliament by signing the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Book of Commitment.
Local MP Docherty-Hughes pledged his commitment to Holocaust Memorial Day and honouring those who were murdered during the Holocaust. The parliamentarian also paid tribute to the extraordinary Holocaust survivors who work tirelessly to educate young people today.
Holocaust Memorial Day falls on 27th January every year, the anniversary of the liberation of the infamous former Nazi concentration and death camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, in 1945. Across the UK – and world – people will come together to remember the horrors of the past.
In the lead up to and on Holocaust Memorial Day, thousands of commemorative events are 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 ‘Ordinary People’.
On Holocaust Memorial Day we also remember and pay tribute to all of those persecuted by the Nazis, including Roma and Sinti people, disabled people, gay men, political opponents to the Nazis and others. We also remember all of those affected by genocide since, in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.
Commenting, Martin Docherty-Hughes MP said:
“Holocaust Memorial Day is an important opportunity for people in West Dunbartonshire and across the country to reflect on the darkest times of European history.
“Through my work in parliament I have been privileged to meet survivors of the Holocaust. Their testimonies serve as a powerful reminder of the horrors of the past; and for the sake of future generations they must never be forgotten.
“Today, I pledge to remember the six million Jewish men, women and children who were murdered in Holocaust, as well as the millions of others persecuted by the Nazis including Roma and Sinti people, black people, gay people, mentally and physically disabled people.
“We cannot ever be complacent in standing up to hatred, discrimination and intolerance.”
Karen Pollock CBE, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said:
“On Holocaust Memorial Day we remember the 6 million men, women and children who were murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators, simply for being Jewish, and we pay tribute to the incredible survivors, many of whom still share their testimony day in and day out to ensure that future generations never forget the horrors of the past.
“We also remember that antisemitism did not start or end with the Holocaust, we must all be vigilant, and speak out whenever it is found.”
Further information on Holocaust Memorial Day 2023 is available at: https://www.het.org.uk/hmd-2023
