Mike Freer MP co-hosted a reception for the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT), of which he is a Trustee, in Parliament, on the 15 September.
Opening the event, Mr Freer spoke about the true inspiration of Holocaust survivors who experienced the most frightening events in history and how many have gone on to achieve greatness in literacy, business, academia and politics.
The North London MP was speaking about the theme of next year’s Holocaust Memorial Day: How can life go on? which will seek to reflect on the ways in which the Holocaust and subsequent genocides throughout the world have affected the individuals caught up in their horror.
Holocaust Memorial Day began in 2001 as a national day of remembrance in the UK. On the 27th January, the same day the death camp Auschwitz Birkenau was liberated – the place where the Nazis murdered over 1 million Jewish people – nearly 6,000 activities and events take place in communities nationwide to commemorate the largest mass execution in the history of the world.
The guest speaker was the Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP, the Secretary of State for Communities, who was invited due to his Department’s role in funding the work of the HMDT, which it has done since 2007.
Commenting on the event Mr Freer said: “It is a privilege to be in a position to support the inspiring work of the HMDT. It isn’t possible to truly understand how survivors of the Holocaust were affected by their experiences; the trauma; the fear; the heartbreak, but it is important that we remember their stories.”
He continued: “History is said to repeat itself but I hope, through understanding the history of the Holocaust and the experiences of those survivors of events over 70 years ago, we can ensure that we stand up for tolerance, diversity and personal freedom of all peoples throughout the world.”