GUELPH — Mike Schreiner released the following statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which marks the anniversary of the liberation of Aushwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp, on January 27, 1945.
“We observe this anniversary out of respect for the victims of the Holocaust, the six million Jews and others – ethnic Poles, Slavs, Roma, Blacks, homosexuals, dissidents, and persons with disabilities – who were killed by the Nazis and their collaborators.
But even as we remember and mourn, we must also grasp the opportunity to learn from this most horrific episode in human history. Never again can the world watch while such genocidal acts are perpetrated. We must make sure that future generations know about the Holocaust and commit to creating a world that truly embraces the human family in all its diversity.
Remembering is especially vital at this time when acts of anti-semitism and Holocaust denial are on the rise. All of us have a duty and a responsibility to combat hate in all its forms.”