The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust is promoting everyone to mark the occasion today with local activities as well as individual acts, such as signing a pledge.
For me, a particular significance is remembering that Nazism was about state-sponsored, systematic discrimination against entire categories of people — whether Jewish, Polish, gypsies, homosexuals, the disabled, or anyone who over fraternised (contaminated themselves) with any so-labelled degenerate:
Let’s not forget that anyone who opposed the regime politically were also targeted.
For example, shortly after a suspicious fire in the Reichstag on 27 February 1933, Hitler requested the parliament to grant him absolute powers. Nearly all the members of the parliament did, but a few dozen did not. They were ultimately arrested and sent to concentration camps to die. These stones near the entrance of the Reichstag is a memorial to those parliamentarians (and I took this photo on a visit in 2007):
In the following video, the Holocaust Memorial Trust highlights its work and activites that have taken place in local communities. Belfast features at 7:40:
Belfast is hosting some activities today, which includes the screening of an HMD film at the Mid-Antrim Museum, running until 4th February.
Wish I’d had an earlier heads-up of these events, which I wish every success.
PS. Glad to see an official recognition of the day by First Minister Peter Robinson MLA and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness MLA at OFMDFM.
Original posting: http://mrulster.org/holocaust-memorial-day-belfast
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