Natalie Gonnella
As the world reflects on the need for continued vigilance in the fight against evil following recent events in Pakistan, coincidentally, this week also marks the national observance of Holocaust Remembrance Week.
In recognition of this year's Days of Remembrance, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Ileana Ros-Lehtinen issued the following statement stressing the importance of education in the fight against hatred and injustice across the globe:
[A]s we reflect on the news of Osama bin Laden’s death, we are reminded again that one of the grim lessons of the Holocaust is the need to stand up to agents of hatred.
Even in the face of unthinkable persecution and a seemingly insurmountable enemy, it was the courage, compassion, conviction, and humanity of the victims and survivors of the Holocaust, and those devoted to saving them, which defeated an evil regime and ideology and shaped the path the world took to the future.
The example of the Holocaust serves as a terrible reminder of what can happen when good people do nothing. There are those in the world today who hope that that lesson has been lost. Many even deny the Holocaust while espousing the type of hatred which led to it.
As we remember all those whose lives were forever changed by the Holocaust, it is important to remain vigilant against the forces of evil, and also to promote Holocaust education and enhance our commitment to fighting hatred and anti-Semitism wherever they appear.
In addition to Ros-Lehtinen's comments, here's a look at what a few other Republicans had to say in observance of the national Days of Remembrance:
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor reminded lawmakers and Americans of the the imperative need for vigilance, calling for an increased effort to teach younger generations to stand against tyranny and hatred:
The scourge of Holocaust denial and anti-Jewish incitement is currently experiencing a rebirth around the world, with the regime in Iran leading the charge. We must answer these challenges by redoubling our efforts to teach the lessons of the Holocaust to our children, make it clear that we will not stand for intolerance or injustice, and remember what happens when well-intentioned individuals ignore threats and stand idly by in the face of dehumanization and evil.
Congressman Lou Barletta urged Americans to continue to advocate for freedom and justice, stressing the ever apparent need for education and the promotion of tolerance:
Those who died in the Holocaust continue to light the way, not just for those who share their religion, but for all mankind. They serve as an eternal warning against man’s ability to be cruel to his fellow man. They are in our minds as we mark this Time of Remembrance.
Now, we must continue to advocate for them. We must continue to teach the lesson taught to us by the six million Jews who perished during the Holocaust. And we must make sure that our children and grandchildren can always see their brilliant light.
Commemorating the first Holocaust Memorial in North Orange County, during remarks Congressman Ed Royce (who was joined Leon Leyson, the youngest Holocaust survivor on Schindler’s List, and Bruno Ryff, the Consul General of Switzerland delivering) urged Congress to do more to protect Israel and the wider cause of freedom around the world:
In Congress, we can resolve to do more in the cause of freedom, to do more to commit the United States to make certain that nothing like the Holocaust ever occurs again.
In this regard, today's world events are very troubling. The Jewish people faced intolerance and hate long before the Holocaust. And they face it to this day. I am deeply concerned about the security of Israel. The Middle East is tumultuous. And in Iran, our friends face a determined and able enemy. I am working in Congress with allies to see that Iran never obtains the means to act on its leader's sick dreams of attacking Israel.
Information regarding Days of Rembrance events across the country is available to view here.
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