MPs urge lessons from history on Holocaust Remembrance Day
Culture Minister Owen Bonnici warns that people have increasingly forgotten such atrocities
Parliament marked International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Monday with MPs stressing such events should never be forgotten.
Culture Minister Owen Bonnici described the Holocaust as a “unique episode in history”, referring to man’s ability to inflict cruelty.
He warned that people have increasingly forgotten such atrocities, some even denying they ever happened.
“We need to stop, reflect on history and learn the lessons of the past,” he said, drawing attention to contemporary conflicts, including those in Gaza and Lebanon.
The deputy speaker, David Agius also referred to ongoing conflicts, particularly in Gaza, Israel and Ukraine. He asked whether so many lives in Gaza needed to be lost, adding: “Was the Holocaust not enough for us to learn?”
He said the world is more multicultural than ever. “We need to adapt and understand that we all have value,” Agius remarked, underscoring the importance of remembering past atrocities to ensure they are not repeated.
Speaking on behalf of the Opposition, Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici condemned extremism and noted that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
He said society has a collective responsibility to educate people about the Holocaust.
“These people had all dignity and possessions taken away from them, even their names, leaving them only with a number tattooed on them,” he said.
Mifsud Bonnici called on schools and the media to hold events to help people remember the Holocaust: “To have a strong democracy, we need to remember this event”.
Nationalist MP Albert Buttigieg boycotted the session in a symbolic act of solidarity with the suffering of the Palestinian people, despite his party not mentioning the conflict in Gaza and Israel during the session.