Holocaust Rememberance Day

HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY -- (Extensions of Remarks - May 04, 2006)

* Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in solidity with Jews across this nation and around the world to pay tribute to those who perished at the hands of the Nazis during the Holocaust. Today in the Nation's Capital, we gather to pay our respects at the National Commemoration of the Days of Remembrance. I would like to thank the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum for arranging this important and emotional event.

* My district, the 9th Congressional District of Illinois, is home to perhaps the largest concentration of survivors in the country and certainly in the state, and this day holds deep meaning for those individuals and the entire community.

* Recent events in the Middle East and around the world underscore the importance of this day. Anti-Semitic and anti-Israel rhetoric and demonstrations continue in numerous countries. And the President of one these countries, Iran, has threatened to use nuclear weapons to wipe Israel off the face of the map.

* With anti-Semitism on the rise we must be reminded that ``Never Again'' is not a guarantee, but a pledge that we must uphold through education, dialogue, and determination. It also reminds us that we must continue to strengthen the U.S. commitment to the security of Israel. Moreover, we must redouble our efforts to bring lasting peace to the Middle East.

* ``Never Again'' means that we must combat hate wherever it exists. While the Holocaust was a unique incident, a genocide is taking place right in front of our eyes in the Darfur region of Sudan. I recently traveled to Darfur where President Bush and the U.S. Congress have officially acknowledged ``genocide'' is taking place. According to official estimates, out of an estimated pre-conflict population of 7 million in Darfur, anywhere between 180,000 and 400,000 Darfurians have already died and over 2 million have been displaced. The conflict has spilled across international borders and hundreds of thousands have fled into Chad. The window to provide security and hope is narrowing. According to the Commander of the African Union forces who briefed the participants of my Congressional Delegation in Darfur, ``There is no sense of urgency outside.''

* As a Jew I cannot sit idle while these atrocities continue to unfold in Darfur. The lessons from the Holocaust have taught us that we must never turn a blind eye to terror or discrimination. We must demand that our government hold those who carry out acts of needless brutality accountable. I believe that everyone should take a moment today to consider the role of the U.S. in the prevention and prosecution of genocide.

* We must honor those who were lost during the Holocaust by carrying on and living honorable and productive lives. At the same time we must also honor them by carrying out measures to bring to justice those who were implicated and who profited from their suffering. And we must do everything within our power to provide the utmost measure of restitution for those who survived the Nazi's evil plan.

* The Holocaust was the most horrific human atrocity the world saw during the last century and perhaps in the history of the planet. Millions of Jews and others were brutalized, raped, beaten, dehumanized, enslaved, robbed, and murdered. While it is hard to grasp how terrible those events must have been, what all of our children, and us must do is to listen to the stories of those few remaining survivors of the Holocaust and ensure that their stories and their suffering are a permanent part of history.

* Today we honor and mourn those who perished. We vow to live our lives in a way that pays tribute to their memory and ensures others will not suffer their fate.

http://thomas.loc.gov/