AUSTIN ‘SPEAKS OUT’ AGAINST PREJUDICE BY SIGNING HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY BOOK OF COMMITMENT

Dudley North MP Ian Austin yesterday signed a Book of Commitment in the House of Commons to honour the memory of those who died during the Holocaust.

Friday January 27th is Holocaust Memorial Day and marks the 67th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Nazi concentration and extermination camp which is the site of the largest mass murder in history – and in the weeks running up to the day, the Holocaust Educational Trust placed a Book of Commitment in the House of Commons, giving MPs the chance to honour those who were persecuted and killed during the Holocaust and encouraging constituents to actively speak out against prejudice and bigotry today.

For the last six years Austin has helped organise a service of commemoration for all residents in Dudley to coincide with Holocaust Memorial Day. This year the event will be taking place at midday at Dudley College. The guest speaker will be Joanna Millan, who lost her parents to the Nazis and herself survived the Theresienstadt concentration camp before fleeing to Britain in 1945.

The event, attended by faith leaders, the Mayor, MPs and councillors will also include a short presentation from former students of Ellowes Hall School who recently went to Auschwitz through the Holocaust Educational Trust’s ‘Lessons from Auschwitz programme.’

It will follow the national theme of ‘Speak Up, Speak Out’, which is aimed at making sure that discrimination of whatever kind is spoken out against.

Ian Austin MP said:

“Holocaust Memorial Day marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau – and is an important opportunity to remember the victims of genocide. I encourage all constituents to mark the day and to commit to ‘speaking up and speaking out’ against prejudice.

“People in Dudley can pay their respects at the borough’s Holocaust Memorial Service at Dudley College at midday on January 27. It is vitally important that we both remember and learn from the appalling events of the Holocaust – as well as ensuring that we continue to challenge all forms of bigotry.

“I really hope that as many local people as possible will attend the event during their lunch hour, in between meetings, before going shopping in the town centre or picking the kids up from school.”