January 27th marks the annual observance of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 60/7 which designated this day as the UN observance of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. As we join the Jewish community and other persecuted communities in remembrance of the millions of lives lost, the Parliament reaffirms our commitment to the eradication of hate, war, persecution, and genocide as outlined in our foundational document, Towards a Global Ethic.
The Resolution also established the Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme, which works to observe this international remembrance with ceremonies and activities at United Nations Headquarters in New York and at United Nations offices around the world. The 2022 remembrance is especially important to the interfaith movement as the United Nations General Assembly will soon adopt a historic resolution calling for action to combat Holocaust denial and distortion as antisemitism continues to surge globally.
As recently as this month, antisemitic sentiment led to a hostage situation at the Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas. The interfaith response to this event has been exemplary but our community cannot afford to be too celebratory in this success; we as a movement must continue to fight Holocaust denial in our own communities and online.
We must remain steadfast in repudiating antisemitism around the world. We must not forget. We can never forget. Silence is not an option.
In this regard, we invite you to honor this remembrance day by offering prayers to those who lost their lives and remember them in your congregations, in your churches, in your synagogues, in your temples, in your gurdwaras, in your mosques, and in your sacred spaces wherever they might be. Let this prayer serve as a clear and vocal commitment to work to eradicate hate, spread love, and foster peace.
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