Ottawa: The Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister for Multiculturalism, issued the following statement to recognize Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day:

“Today on Yom HaShoah we stand together with Jewish communities in Canada and around the world in remembering the millions of innocent men, women and children murdered during one of the most horrific and inhumane periods of human history.

“The Holocaust stands alone for the sheer cruelty and brutality of the atrocities perpetrated by the Nazis.  All of us have a solemn responsibility to remember those who perished during the Shoah, to honour and learn from the survivors, and to teach future generations about the horrors of the Holocaust. We must draw lessons from this dark chapter of history to prevent it from ever being repeated.

“Throughout this past year, Canada maintained our status as a world leader in Holocaust commemoration as the Chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). We will continue to work closely with the IHRA to promote Holocaust education, remembrance and research and to combat anti-Semitism worldwide.

“As Minister for Multiculturalism, I encourage Canadians to use the occasion of Yom Hashoah to reflect on the Holocaust and the lessons learned, to recognize its survivors, and to commemorate its victims.”