Holocaust Memorial Day (UK)

Holocaust Memorial Day (27 January) is a national event in the United Kingdom dedicated to the remembrance of the victims of the Holocaust. It was first held in January 2001, and has been on 27 January every year since. The chosen date is the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp by the Soviet Union in 1945.

Commemoration of the Holocaust in the United Kingdom and other countries

Every year since 2001, there has been an annual national memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. The main national memorial was hosted in:
* London (2001) — Theme: "Remembering Genocides: Lessons for the Future"
* Manchester (2002) — Theme: "Britain and the Holocaust"
* Edinburgh (2003) — Theme: "Children and the Holocaust"
* Belfast (2004) — Theme: "From the Holocaust to Rwanda: lessons learned, lessons still to learn"
* London (2005) — Theme: "Survivors, Liberation and Rebuilding Lives", for the sixtieth anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz
* Cardiff (2006) — Theme: "One Person CAN Make a Difference"
* Newcastle (2007) — Theme: 'The Dignity Of Difference'
* Liverpool (2008) — Theme: 'Imagine...Remember, Reflect, React'

In addition to the national event, there are numerous smaller memorial events around the country organised by local government, community groups and religious organisations.

Since 1996, 27 January has officially been "Gedenktag für die Opfer des Nationalsozialismus" (Anniversary for the Victims of National Socialism) in Germany. Italy and Poland have adopted similar memorial days.

On 10 June 1999, Andrew Dismore MP asked Prime Minister Tony Blair about the creation of memorial day for the Holocaust. In reply, Tony Blair also referred to the ethnic cleansing that was being witnessed in the Kosovo War at that time and said:

"I am determined to ensure that the horrendous crimes against humanity committed during the Holocaust are never forgotten. The ethnic cleansing and killing that has taken place in Europe in recent weeks are a stark example of the need for vigilance."

A consultation took place during October of that year. On 27 January 2000, representatives from forty-four governments around the world met in Stockholm to discuss Holocaust education, remembrance and research. At the conclusion of the forum, the delegates unanimously signed a declaration. This declaration forms the basis of the "Statement of Commitment" (see below) adopted for Holocaust Memorial Day.

In 2004, the United Nations voted to commemorate the Holocaust atrocity, with 149 out of 191 votes in favour.

United Nations statement of commitment

#We recognise that the Holocaust shook the foundations of modern civilisation. Its unprecedented character and horror will always hold universal meaning.
#We believe the Holocaust must have a permanent place in our nation's collective memory. We honour the survivors still with us, and reaffirm our shared goals of mutual understanding and justice.
#We must make sure that future generations understand the causes of the Holocaust and reflect upon its consequences. We vow to remember the victims of Nazi persecution and of all genocide.
#We value the sacrifices of those who have risked their lives to protect or rescue victims, as a touchstone of the human capacity for good in the face of evil.
#We recognise that humanity is still scarred by the belief that race, religion, disability or sexuality make some people's lives worth less than others'. Genocide, antisemitism, racism, xenophobia and discrimination still continue. We have a shared responsibility to fight these evils.
#We pledge to strengthen our efforts to promote education and research about the Holocaust and other genocide. We will do our utmost to make sure that the lessons of such events are fully learnt.
#We will continue to encourage Holocaust remembrance by holding an annual Holocaust Memorial Day. We condemn the evils of prejudice, discrimination and racism. We value a free, tolerant, and democratic society.

Criticism

Muslim Council of Britain

Between 2001 and 2007, the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) expressed its unwillingness to attend the ceremony. The MCB instead called for a more inclusive day proposing the commemoration of deaths in Palestine, Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, along with the Holocaust. It also objected to the inclusion of the Armenian genocide and gay victims of the holocaust [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20010309212038/http://www.mcb.org.uk/news260101.html MCB - LATEST - Press Release ] ] . The MCB did not send official representatives to any of the official events associated with Holocaust Memorial Day. The latter policy has been generally referred to as a boycott, although the MCB leadership has objected to the use of that term. In 2005, Iqbal Sacranie suggested that the deaths of Palestianians should also be remembered. [David Leppard [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article505388.ece Muslims boycott Holocaust remembrance - Times Online] , TimesOnline 23 January, 2005]

The MCB policy of withholding participation was condemned variously by Labour MP Louise Ellman,fact|date=March 2008 Peter Tatchell representing the lesbian and gay human rights group Outrage,Peter Tatchell. [http://www.petertatchell.net/religion/muslimhmdprejudice.htm Muslim Council of Britain - Holocaust prejudice] , blog website www.petertatchell.net, 6 January 2005, Accessed 2007-06-18] and Terry Sanderson of the British National Secular Society.Terry Sanderson. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/letters/story/0,,1554427,00.html Panorama and the MCB] , Letter to The Guardian 23 August 2005]

In a public and controversial interview on the BBC programme "Panorama",Staff. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/panorama/4171950.stm A transcript of "A question of Leadership"] , first broadcast 21 August 2005, BBC website] Iqbal Sacranie, the then General Secretary of the MCB, denied that the policy constituted a boycott. The MCB subsequently made an official complaint to the BBC that their position had been misrepresented by selective editing of the interview. This complaint was rejected by the BBC.Fact|date=December 2007

On 3 December 2007, the MCB voted to end the boycott. Assistant general secretary Inayat Bunglawala argued it was 'inadvertently causing hurt to some in the Jewish community'. [cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/religion/Story/0,,2220790,00.html|title=Muslim Council ends Holocaust memorial day boycott|accessdate=2007-12-03|publisher=Guardian Unlimited]

Armenians

The event also drew similar criticism from the United Kingdom's Armenian community in 2000 which complained that the event remained exclusively for commemorating those who perished in the Holocaust, ignoring the critical aspects of the Armenian Genocide put into action by the Ottoman Empire in 1915. Neil Frater, an official of Tony Blair's "Race Equality Unit", a branch of the Home Office replied that it had consulted the "Holocaust Memorial Day Steering Group" on the issue and agreed that while it understood that the Armenian Genocide was an "appalling tragedy", it wanted to "avoid the risk of the message becoming too diluted if we try to include too much history."Fisk, Robert. "The Great War for Civilisation: the Conquest of the Middle East". London: Alfred Knopf, 2005. p. 345 ISBN 1-84115-007-X] Fisk, Robert. [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/europe/britain-excludes-armenians-from-memorial-day-622888.html Britain excludes Armenians from memorial day] , The Independent, 23 November 2000] Frater went on to say that it had gone on with the Steering Group's advice to reject the Genocide, along with the Crusades, colonialism and the Boer War. Frater's comments were met with more widespread criticism, including the principal of the Armenian Evangelical College in Beirut, Lebanon, Zaven Messerlian who stated that "any serious commemoration must include the aetiology of genocide, particularly those of the twentieth century, especially if one encouraged the next." The UK based organization Refugee Council also supported this position since the event was supposed to include "all victims of genocide."Ahmed, Kamal. [http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,425940,00.html Holocaust Day mired in protest] "The Guardian" Jan. 21, 2001. Retrieved January 27, 2007]

The British government faced a flurry of criticism for its decision not include the Armenian Genocide, most notably in the daily newspaper The Independent from its chief Middle East correspondent Robert Fisk. [Fisk. "The Great War for Civilisation". pp. 347-349] After months of pressure, the government allowed twenty Armenian survivors to attend the event in its first annual commemoration. Armenians claimed that the British government held out for so long because it wished to preserve its relationship with the successor state of the Ottoman Empire and NATO ally Turkey.

See also

*Yom HaShoah — the Jewish Holocaust Remembrance Day.
*International Holocaust Remembrance Day
*National Day of Commemorating the Holocaust (Romania)
*Holocaust Educational Trust

References

External links

* [http://www.hmd.org.uk/ Holocaust Memorial Day website] .
* [http://www.kirklees.gov.uk/visitorportal/whatson/january.asp Holocaust Memorial Day in Kirklees] .
* [http://www.hmd.org.uk/about/default.asp About Holocaust Memorial Day] .
* [http://www.holocaustforum.gov.se/ Stockholm International Forum on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research] .
* [http://www.grandlodgescotland.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=43&Itemid=103 Freemasonry and the Holocaust] .
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/panorama/4171950.stm BBC interview the MCB] .