A ‘MOVING’ event in Uppermill commemorated Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) as well as paying tribute to victims and survivors of other horrors.
Saddleworth Peace Group (SPG), their supporters, local councillors including Saddleworth Parish Council Chairman and Peace Champion Cllr Barbara Beeley and MP Debbie Abrahams attended the gathering outside Uppermill Methodist Church on January 26.
SPG holds the annual event to remember the six million Jews and around two million people from other groups were murdered under Nazi Persecution.
The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust’s theme this year was ‘For a Better Future’ so attendees were asked to think about what they could do to ensure the hatred of ethnic and religious groups different to one’s own does not take root.
Examples were given including reporting racist graffiti, joining local organisations whose aim is to support community relations, educating themselves about the Holocaust and other genocides, challenging prejudice and speaking out against misinformation.
Michele Abendstern, from SPG, said the event was “very moving, with references to both past and present horrors.
She added: “We paid tribute to survivors and remembered the millions murdered around the world – men, women and children – because of their ethnicity or religion. “We hold an event for HMD every year because we believe it is vital that this horrific history is remembered.We are living in times when fake news and genocide denial are rife.
“Our aim is to pay tribute to the murdered and to the survivors, to honour their memory, and to ensure their fate is not repeated – something the world has so far been unable to guarantee.”
Magda Sachs, SPG member, highlighted that 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest concentration camp complex of the Nazi era.
This year is also the 30th anniversary of the Bosnian genocide, where more than 100,000 people were murdered, with the violence culminating in the massacre of 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica in 72 hours.
Michele also drew attention to genocidal actions happening now, including in Sudan and Gaza and questioned what, if anything, has been learned from the past.
Mrs Abrahams, MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, talked about the importance of continuing to raise awareness of the Holocaust and Nazi persecution.
She also noted that specific day was when the International Court of Justice was to rule on South Africa’s claim that Israel was committing genocide against the Palestinian people.
Cllr Beeley reminded the gathering of how genocide starts with apparently small incidents of hatred.
Members of SPG took turns to read from a list of 12 ways in which genocide is denied, produced by Genocide Watch, including by minimising statistics, blaming the victims, claiming what is going on doesn’t fit the definition of genocide, putting economic interests first, and attacking the motivations of the truth-tellers.
- To find out more about SPG’s work email: saddleworthpg@yahoo.co.uk
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