Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic Genocide News

A day to let Britain reflect upon evil
by Philip Johnston - The Daily Telegraph, Jan 11 2001
Posted: Monday, January 15, 2001 06:39 pm CST

WHY is Britain holding a Holocaust Memorial Day on Jan 27? When Mr Blair announced the commemoration last year, he said it would "let Britons reflect upon evil in the world".

The date marks the day when the Red Army liberated the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. But critics have pointed out that since the Red Army went on to subjugate much of eastern Europe, a more suitable date would have been April 15, when the British Army reached Belsen.

However, the date of Jan 27 was already marked in Germany and Sweden and was established as the EU's Genocide Remembrance Day even before Britain decided to join in. The Government said the decision to hold the memorial day stemmed from a decision taken at a 40-nation summit in Sweden last year. In fact, the Home Office had already issued a consultation paper some months earlier.

This said: "The purpose is to ensure that the horrendous crimes against humanity during the Holocaust are never forgotten. The Government has a clear vision of a multi-cultural Britain - one which values the contribution made by each of our many ethnic, cultural and faith communities."

From the outset, the concept was linked to the Government's multi-cultural agenda. Planning has been carried out by the Race Equality Unit at the Home Office, and Jack Straw, the Home Secretary, has emphasised its importance in the creation of a "tolerant and anti-racist society".

The main focus of the day is intended to be a national ceremony in London. As the day falls on a Saturday this year, it is being held in the evening since Jewish community leaders are unable to take part until the Sabbath has ended at sunset.

A spokesman at the Board of Deputies said the event was not Jewish-led nor exclusively concerned with the 1939-45 Holocaust. Jews already have a holocaust remembrance day, Yom Hashoah, in April.

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