in the Holocaust and to ensure that my
own education is deepened.
I believe that government too, has
a strong role to play. In Scotland,
we support work to tackle religious
hatred and intolerance, including
Scotland’s national commemoration
of the Holocaust and subsequent
genocides, so that lessons are learned
about what can happen if hatred and
discrimination remain unchecked. I am
also proud that we have long supported
the remembrance and importance of
Holocaust education, such as providing
funding to the Holocaust Educational
Trust’s Lessons from Auschwitz project.
When it comes to standing up against
prejudice, politicians and political
parties must hold themselves to the
highest standards. Where antisemitic
and prejudiced comments are
made, clear and firm action must be
taken. Just as we would not tolerate
other forms of racism, sexism or
homophobia, we should have a zero
tolerance approach to antisemitism.
This is the very reason why we must
show no complacency about the
worrying rise in hate crimes in the wake
of Brexit. Such crimes can have no place
in our society and politicians all have a
responsibility to condemn these vile acts
and to discourage any kind of raciallymotivated behaviour.
We have seen throughout history
how the seeds of prejudice can grow
from a societal culture where negative
attitudes, comments and stereotypes
start to become acceptable to one
where extreme acts of hatred and
discrimination take place - whether the
violent hate crimes are individual or are
the government sanctioned genocide
of the Holocaust. As we reflect on such
appalling and senseless genocidal acts,
our thoughts inevitably turn, not only
to those who tragically lost their lives,
but also to their loved ones and the
survivors left behind.
The horrific events in Srebrenica in 1995
were the worst atrocity in Europe since
the Holocaust. While visiting Srebrenica,
and at memorial events, I have met
some of these family members; mothers
who lost sons, wives who lost husbands,
men who survived. These are the
people who live with the weight of
the memories of these terrible events.
They are also the people to whom
the international community owes a
responsibility to ensure that genocides
like the Holocaust or the Srebrenica
massacre can never happen again and
that the roots from which hatred grows,
including antisemitism, are completely
eliminated from our societies.
I am deeply humbled by the remarkable
strength with which survivors remember
the past but I am also struck by their
desire to look to the future.
Dreadful memories remain extremely
painful but such senseless past events
must never be forgotten. It is only by
remembering that today’s generation,
and those to come, will understand the
significance of challenging the evils
of hatred, racism and extremism of all
forms. It is only by remembering that we
can look to the future with hope.
Rt Hon Angus Robertson MP – 21
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21/09/2016 16:23