Ed Davey’s thoughts on Holocaust Memorial Day

Apologies for not posting this yesterday.

Ed Davey writes:

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.

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.

* Mary Reid is a contributing editor on Lib Dem Voice. She was a councillor in Kingston upon Thames, where she is still very active with the local party, and is the Hon President of Kingston Lib Dems.

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One Comment

  • Paul Barker 28th Jan '21 - 1:42pm

    The phrase which is repeated most often when Politicians speak of The Holocaust is – “Never Again”.
    And yet it is happening again – The Chinese Dictatorship has been building a chain of Concentration Camps for Years now & The Western Liberal response has been almost inaudible. If we mean what We say about The Holocaust we should be campaigning Now for an escalating program of Trade Boycotts against China by Governments, Companies & Individuals. We should be honest that this will cost us & we should accept that cost.

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