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International Holocaust Remembrance Day should prompt re-dedication towards combating antisemitismPosted On 01/26/10
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
International Holocaust Remembrance Day should prompt re-dedication towards combating antisemitism
TORONTO, January 26, 2010 – B’nai Brith Canada has called for a re-dedication towards fighting antisemitism on International Holocaust Remembrance Day which takes place annually on January 27th, the date of the liberation of the Auschwitz. This year, we mark the 65th anniversary of that liberation.
“As we mark 65 years since Soviet troops liberated Auschwitz, the death camp where over one million people were mercilessly slaughtered, we must make sure that the history and lessons of the Holocaust are remembered and that the memory of the victims is honoured,” said Frank Dimant, Executive Vice President of B’nai Brith Canada. “This cannot just be a matter of words - there must be action too.
“This year, as we witness antisemitism reaching levels not seen in decades, it is especially important that we ensure that the lessons and memory of the Holocaust are not forgotten. What started as a campaign of marginalization and discrimination ended, a few short years later, in an unprecedented blood-fest: the attempted annihilation of the Jewish people. But Hitler’s rise to power and the Holocaust did not happen in an instance. The world could have acted when the warning bells started going off, or subsequently as they became louder and louder, but instead chose to dismiss them as the ‘ravings’ of a mad man.
“As frightening as it is to admit, in 2010, we must again ensure that society does not sit by complacently as we witness the ugly face of antisemitism rising again, with Der Sturmer-type propaganda appearing even here in Canada, and a new mad man overseas promising the destruction of the Jewish State.”
“On the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, we witness antisemitism at disturbing levels across the globe, while the forces of Islamist terrorism - which currently espouses the most radical antisemitism - holds the world hostage in its grip. In light of this, let this be a day when we re-dedicate ourselves to the fight against hatred, and demand from our leaders a commitment to stand up against bigotry and prejudice in all of its forms.”
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For more information, please contact, Dan Rabkin, Communications Officer:
416-633-6224 X 140 / cell: 416-312-9173
B’nai Brith Canada has been active in Canada since 1875 as the Jewish community’s foremost human rights agency
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