Holocaust Memorial Day

[FiveParadox]

Today, on April 25, 2006, we remember the terror of the Holocaust, and the profound impact that it has had on the modern world. We remember those who had been exterminated in the name of a madman, and we hope in earnest that such a thing never again occurs. We remember that, the first time that one of those haunting gas chambers was used, the last shred of innocence that humanity had possessed was shattered.

Today is a haunting reminder that, had I lived during the time of that Second World War, I could have been one of those trapped — without hope — at Auschwitz-Birkenau. The persecution taking place at that time, for such baseless causes as the colour of one's skin, or one's religion, or one's sexual orientation, give reason for pause, to consider how far we have come since that dreadful time. The world had been on the brink of self-destruction.

Her Excellency the Rt. Hon. Michaëlle Jean[/color], C.C., C.M.M., C.O.M., C.D.¹,]A man hides in a forest with his family. They forage what they can to survive, hiding from detection because of their religion. Despite the man's caution, and to his horror, he returns from a search for food to discover his wife, his child and other family and friends taken from him at the end of a knife. This was life during the Holocaust.

Holocaust Memorial Day allows all Canadians the opportunity to reflect on one of the darkest periods of humanity. People were judged by the colour of their skin, their sexual orientation and, most noticeably, their religion. For years, the Jewish community has marked Yom Hashoah, a day to remember the more than six million Jews who died because of who they were. Today, survivors tell their stories and pass down the tales of atrocities so their children and future generations will never forget.

Click here to read the entire speech in English.
Cliquetez içi pour lire la parole entière en français.

:?: Sources
1. Click here for the Web site of the Governor General of Canada.

:!: Revision : (1) Corrected a formatting error.

 

[Finder]

This is what we remember and what is truly nazi and facsist and what it means to be truly evil.

 

[FiveParadox]

Participating in a ceremony on Parliament Hill relating to Yom Hashoah, the Right Honourable Stephen Harper, P.C., M.P., the Member for Calgary Southwest and the Prime Minister of Canada, commented on the lessons of the past and the need for the people of Canada to make a stand for their rights and freedoms, in any free and democratic society.

Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper[/color], P.C., M.P.,]Today we gather here on Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Memorial Day. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of perhaps the greatest crime of the 20th century. More than 60 years later, it is still difficult to believe a plan of such scale and such evil as the Holocaust was conceived and carried out — but it was.

Click here to read the entire statement.
Cliquetez içi pour lire le communiqué entier en français.

:?: Sources
1. Click here for the Web site of the Office of the Prime Minister of Canada.

 

[FiveParadox]

I was thoroughly disgusted today when the House of Commons denied the unanymous consent required to have a moment of silence tomorrow, after Question Period, in memory of the Holocaust. Any Members of Parliament who denied that consent should, in my opinion, be ashamed of themselves.

 

[LittleRunningGag]

the Prime Minister of Canada, commented on the lessons of the past and the need for the people of Canada to make a stand for their rights and freedoms, in any free and democratic society.

Ahem... I'm just going to leave that one alone for the sake of keeping this thread on track. But you all know what I'm thinking.

I was thoroughly disgusted today when the House of Commons denied the unanymous consent required to have a moment of silence tomorrow, after Question Period, in memory of the Holocaust. Any Members of Parliament who denied that consent should, in my opinion, be ashamed of themselves.

Agreed. When, however, have we ever expected the best out of our politicians?

Anyone have a list of who delined?

 

[FiveParadox]

LittleRunningGag[/i]]Anyone have a list of who delined?

The Hansard for today has not yet been posted.

However, I don't think that even the Journals would have the names of those who denied consent; unfortunately, the motion required unanymous consent and, therefore, any member could stand to defeat the motion. It was a member of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition who had put forth the motion on a point of order (unless I am mistaken, in which case my apologies — I am going from memory), and it appeared to be someone from the Government of Canada side of the House who had denied consent (someone from either the Conservative Party of Canada or the New Democratic Party of Canada).

 

[LittleRunningGag]

LittleRunningGag[/i]]Anyone have a list of who delined?

The Hansard for today has not yet been posted.

However, I don't think that even the Journals would have the names of those who denied consent; unfortunately, the motion required unanymous consent and, therefore, any member could stand to defeat the motion. It was a member of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition who had put forth the motion on a point of order (unless I am mistaken, in which case my apologies — I am going from memory), and it appeared to be someone from the Government of Canada side of the House who had denied consent (someone from either the Conservative Party of Canada or the New Democratic Party of Canada).

Ahem... Yes, well I wish I could be honest and say that I was surprised but its usually someone from the extremes that supports that kind of thing. Or is a Holocaust denier in any case.

 

[Roger]

At the risk of being called a Neo-Nazi, Nazi, Fascist, Neo-Fascist, Racist, Holocaust Denier, Anti-Semite, or whatever someone thinks is fashionable, I would like to ask a serious question.

Why is Holocaust Memorial Day in April, when there's an ENTIRE MONTH devoted to the event in February?

 

[NaturalLemonFlavour]

Because Holocaust Memorial Day is actually on the Hebrew calender as the something (21st?) of Nisan. It was going to be the 15th of Nisan, which is the day when the Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto rose up and rebelled. They couldn't make it on the 15 because it's the first day of Passover, so they bumped it up to eight days before Israeli Day of Independence.

 

[Finder]

Re: RE: Holocaust Memorial Day

At the risk of being called a Neo-Nazi, Nazi, Fascist, Neo-Fascist, Racist, Holocaust Denier, Anti-Semite, or whatever someone thinks is fashionable, I would like to ask a serious question.

Why is Holocaust Memorial Day in April, when there's an ENTIRE MONTH devoted to the event in February?

I don't think it's a PC or a fashionable thing, just an event which happend which I do not think we should ever be allowed to forget. As history slowly clouds history you will most likely get more and more people who may start to believe that it didn't happend as it did. Many things get lost to history and forgotting about this would allow it to happen again.