Deeside politicians mark World Holocaust Memorial Day

Alyn and Deeside’s politicians were proud to mark World Holocaust Memorial Day today, Friday, January 27.

This year as is traditional, Mark Tami MP and Jack Sargeant MS were invited to take part in the Holocaust Memorial Service at Father’s House in Shotton by pastor Mike Fryer.

Six million Jewish people were murdered in the Holocaust, as well as gay people, disabled people, Roma and Sinti people and opponents of the Nazis.

Pastor Fryer spoke of how lies, such as those told about Jewish people, are so damaging that they can lead to ordinary, educated people killing others.

In his speech Mark Tami referred to a recent Dutch study that found that 23 per cent of adults under 40 and 12 per cent of all respondents believed the Holocaust is a myth or that the number of Jews killed has been greatly exaggerated.

“A lot of people don’t know about the Holocaust, or if they do, they think it wasn’t as bad as it was. Well it did happen, and it was that bad.

“Before the Nazis, Germany was a liberal country. Those who stood by and those who took part were not all thugs, they were professionally educated people. And it still happened. If it can happen then, it can happen again.

“That’s why we must all remember what happened and teach our children what happened.”

Jack Sargeant said: “We must never let this happen again. When we see evil, we must speak out and stand up to it.”

Both politicians have this week attended services at the Houses of Parliament and the Senedd respectively, as well as signing the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Book of Commitment. In doing so, as well as pledging to honour those who were murdered, they paid tribute to the extraordinary Holocaust survivors who work tirelessly to educate young people today.