Today we remember every single life cut short during the
Holocaust - the Jewish lives and the countless others who suffered at the hands
of the Nazis.
It is vital that we remember these innocent victims and tell
new generations of the unspeakable things people experienced in Nazi death
camps and ghettos, from the torture to the mass exterminations.
It’s vital because we must never forget the lesson -
that every human life should be valued and cared for.
The theme of this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day - be
the light in the darkness - is the lesson we can all choose to live
out. That as we struggle with what the world confronts us with - we can all
choose to be a force for good. And that choosing to be a light in the darkness
will always be a necessary choice.
There can be devastating consequences if we choose to turn a
blind eye to hate and injustice.
For as we say again, “never again”, we must recognise that
the depravity, evil and lies that led to the Holocaust still exists in our
world today.
For the path to genocide starts with words, hate speech and
discrimination, and will unfold still further if people are indifferent or
passive.
As a Liberal, I hope we all remember Pastor Niemöller’s
poem, beginning “First they came for the Communists, And I did not speak
out, Because I was not a Communist.” There can be devastating consequences
if we choose to turn a blind eye to hate and injustice.
We know the poison of anti-Semitism still exists. We know
that venomous racism is still rife. We know that prejudice and discrimination
still disfigures the lives of millions across the world.
So as we reflect on this Holocaust Memorial Day, let us
pledge to be lights in the darkness. To nurture the values and freedoms that
lead people to care about others, to care for the stranger and to care for the
rights of individual human beings across the world.
Thank you to everyone involved in marking this important
day.
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