ASIATODAY.ID, NEW YORK – The Holocaust stands as a permanent warning that hatred, when left unchecked, can consume everything — a message that feels increasingly urgent as antisemitism surges worldwide.
Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday during the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered a stark reminder: remembrance is not symbolic, it is personal — and political.
In his 10th Holocaust Remembrance Day address, Guterres told survivors and their families gathered in the Assembly Hall that honouring the dead and confronting what he called the “ancient poison of antisemitism” is inseparable from the responsibility to act today.
Every year, on the anniversary of the liberation of Nazi concentration camps in 1945, the world commemorates the six million Jewish men, women, and children murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators.
The observance also honours Roma and Sinti communities, persons with disabilities, LGBTIQ+ individuals, and all others targeted by the systematic violence, torture, and genocide of the Nazi regime.
“Remembrance is more than honouring the past,” the Secretary-General said.
“It is a duty and a promise — to defend dignity, to protect the vulnerable, and to keep faith with those whose names and stories we refuse to forget.”
Choosing hope over hate
Condemning the Hamas-led terror attacks of 7 October 2023 on southern Israel, Mr. Guterres acknowledged that the world remains haunted by ongoing violence and rising hatred. Yet he stressed that collective remembrance is itself an act of resistance.
“You are here because you choose hope over hate,” he told the Assembly.
“You choose remembrance as a living force — a shield against prejudice, a spark for justice, and a pledge to protect every human being.”
Warning that genocide does not begin with killing but with words, Mr. Guterres said the Holocaust exposes a sobering truth for the modern world.
“When those with power fail to act, evil goes unpunished,” he said, calling for unequivocal condemnation of antisemitism and all forms of hatred, wherever they emerge.
“Our duty is clear: to speak the truth, to educate new generations, to confront antisemitism and all forms of discrimination, and to defend the dignity of every human being,” he concluded.
‘Never Again’ is not optional
President of the UN General Assembly Annalena Baerbock reinforced the message, recalling her meeting ahead of the ceremony with Holocaust survivor Blumenthal Lazan, who was deported as a child to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.
Baerbock, a former German foreign minister, said her first visit to a Nazi death camp as a student left an indelible mark on her conscience.
“The promise of ‘Never Again’ is etched into the DNA of the United Nations — its Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” she said.
“That promise obliges us to speak out, louder than ever, when dehumanisation begins.”
Quoting Holocaust survivor Simon Wiesenthal, she warned that evil thrives not only through hatred, but through silence: “For evil to flourish, it only requires good people to do nothing.”
“‘Never Again’ must be more than a slogan,” Ms. Baerbock added.
“It is a duty to stand up, to speak out, and to defend the dignity and human rights of every member of our human family — everywhere, every day.”
Education as a shield against hate
UN Holocaust commemorations worldwide continue to highlight education as a frontline defence against hatred and genocide.
Through initiatives such as The Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme, the UN promotes year-round education and remembrance to counter antisemitism and prejudice.
Complementary efforts include early-warning systems to prevent genocide, staff training on hate speech, the #NoToHate campaign, and outreach programmes addressing past atrocities, including the genocides in Rwanda and Srebrenica.
As speakers repeatedly underscored, remembrance without action risks becoming hollow ritual.
The lesson of the Holocaust, they warned, is not only about what happened — but about what happens when the world looks away. (AT Network)
Follow Us at Google News and WA Channel