Esteemed Friends,

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Friends,
​Our gathering here today to commemorate the “International Holocaust Remembrance Day” is simply one of the reactions that can be shown in the name of humanity, to one of the darkest pages – probably the darkest one – of history.

​It is simply one of them, because:
​It is certainly useful and even necessary to confront the most painful, the most unjust, and the most ruthless period in the history of humanity generated in recent history, but it is impossible for anyone to undo what has happened.
​However, even before the smudgy smokes fuming from the crematoriums’ chimneys could disappear from the atmosphere, the attempts that started to underestimate, even to deny and ignore, and more importantly to live down the Holocaust, keep – I regret to say this but – shamelessly and cynically continue.
​But:
​Trying to make people forget this human tragedy whose evidences speak for themselves and whose witnesses are still alive; can only turn those who attempt to do so into implied suspects of this drama.
​The Holocaust should never be forgotten and should always be remembered, because:
​A world which does not learn from the past and would let history to repeat itself will absolutely not deserve to honorably outlive the third millennium’s civilization.
​The Holocaust should be told and taught, because:
​Every generation – not only to bring history to account – is responsible for preparing a relevant environment for future generations to seek out universal truths among the mistakes made in the past.
​The Holocaust education must be an integral part of formal and non-formal curricula, because:
​In a period when younger generations are still at their top of their learning and understanding, the way they perceive and comprehend the Holocaust within a scientific framework, free from any information pollution is crucial for structuring their intellect.
​The distinctness and uniqueness of the Holocaust should be particularly emphasized, because:
​The Holocaust is a phenomenon that goes far beyond the scope of the genocide concept, widely used nowadays, and should not be allowed to become an ordinary term or be banalized for whatever reason.

Therefore,
The human of our time should not remain as a spectator, but be a contributor, an actor, and an activist in all these efforts.
​In short:
​The attitude towards the concept and the fact of the Holocaust is a test for human beings, for going beyond being mortals, to being humans.
Thank you.