PRIME
MINISTER STEPHEN HARPER HONOURS VICTIMS OF THE HOLOCAUST
Ottawa
– Prime Minister Stephen Harper today attended the annual Canadian
Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony, Yom Hashoah, on Parliament Hill. The
Canadian Holocaust Remembrance Day was first observed in 2004 to
commemorate one of the greatest tragedies in human history.
“Let
us plainly state the awful, incontrovertible truth that brings us here
today: millions, including six million Jewish men, women, and children
were murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust,” said the Prime Minister.
While
honouring those who lost their lives during the Holocaust, Prime Minister
Harper spoke of how the hatred that gave rise to that unprecedented
atrocity lives on.
“It’s
not good enough for politicians to stand before you and say they remember
and mourn what happened over six decades ago. They must stand up to those
who advocate the destruction of Israel and its people today. And they must
be unequivocal in their condemnation of anti-Semitic despots, terrorists
and fanatics. That is the only real way to honour the memory of those who
were consumed by the Holocaust. And the only way to ensure it never
happens again,” said the Prime Minister.
Today’s
ceremony and moment of silence on Parliament Hill were organized by the
Canadian Society for Yad Vashem. The commemoration concluded with a march
to the Ottawa Congress Centre.
