Hatred as a political and ideological weapon must not be tolerated!

In honor of January 27, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, CIVIL– Center for Freedom, as a human rights and freedoms organization, is reaffirming Resolution 60/7 of the United Nations and is calling for dignified observation of this date in the public, the media and the institutions. The Holocaust needs to be given a deserved place in the public, education and politics that promote peace and human rights and freedoms.

On this day, we join the global commemoration of six million victims who were systematically and brutally killed by the Nazi regime and its collaborators and Quisling regime. The Holocaust is a lecture for mankind in that hatred and violence towards others are destructive for humanity.

CIVIL once again stresses that antisemitism, racism, nationalism, xenophobia, hatred on religious grounds are interrelated and are part of the destructive tendencies in the world and in our country. Divisions and hatred against others leads to violence and violent acts out of hatred. Hatred on ethnic, religious and various grounds is based on ideologies that justify and encourage homophobia, discrimination against women, against socially vulnerable categories and many others.

CIVIL reaffirms the calls for the provisions of UN Resolution 60/7 to be fully respected, and in the revision of textbooks and curricula, for the Holocaust to be appropriately represented. This also implies the obligation of the state to develop educational programs in which the Holocaust will be represented, in order to prevent future crimes and genocide in the world.

In the spirit of the mentioned Resolution, as well as CIVIL’s basic documents, we use this day also as an occasion to once again most strongly condemn all manifestations of intolerance, nationalism, hate speech and violence based on ethnic, religious or racial affiliation, social origin, political affiliation or any other affiliation or determination.

A society that keeps silent about the Holocaust and in which antisemitism of certain individuals and groups is justified, is a society in which fear and destruction rule. A society in which hatred and violence go unpunished cannot move forward. Hatred as a political and ideological weapon must not be tolerated!