Victims and survivors of the Holocaust were remembered at a special Holocaust Memorial Day event at Howden Park Centre.
Holocaust Memorial Day is held annually, and is a day to remember the millions of people killed in the Holocaust, under Nazi persecution, and in the subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and the ongoing genocide in Darfur.
Each year, the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust chooses a different theme to enable audiences on Holocaust Memorial Day to learn something new about the past.
The theme for this year was ‘Ordinary People’, with the focus on how genocide is facilitated by ordinary people.
Ordinary people can turn a blind eye, believe propaganda and join murderous regimes. Those who are persecuted, oppressed and murdered in genocide aren’t persecuted because of crimes they’ve committed – they are persecuted simply because of who they are and/or who they love.
The Howden Park memorial event was opened by Leader of West Lothian Council, Councillor Lawrence Fitzpatrick who was soon followed by Joe Miller from the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust who introduced a special screening of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust film, ‘Ordinary People’.
The event also featured readings and presentations by pupils from Armadale Academy, St Kentigern’s Academy and West Calder High School as well as performances from the West Lothian Schools Flute Ensemble.
Lord Julian Goodman of the Edinburgh Hebrew Congregation led those in attendance through a memorial prayer before Provost Cathy Muldoon closed the event.
Provost Muldoon said: “Today’s ceremony gave us all a powerful reminder of the role that we can all play as individuals so that that events like the holocaust never happen again.
"As the years go by it becomes ever more important that we remember those lost in the Holocaust. We must ensure that hatred, discrimination and racism are never again allowed to dictate our fates.”
You can find out more about Holocaust Memorial Day by visiting: https://www.hmd.org.uk/
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