Washington: US President Barack Obama has called for building a more peaceful, just and tolerant world to honour the millions of Holocaust victims.
"I join people here at home, in Israel, and around the world in commemorating International Holocaust Remembrance Day, as we mark one of the darkest, most destructive periods in human history," Obama said in a statement yesterday.
"To remember is a choice, and today we remember the innocent victims of the Nazis' murderous hate - six million Jews and millions of other people. We are reminded to remain ever-vigilant against the possibility of genocide, and to ensure that 'Never Again' is not just a phrase but a principled cause," he noted.
Meanwhile, the German and Polish Presidents urged global vigilance to prevent crimes against humanity as they marked international Holocaust remembrance day at the former Auschwitz death camp.
The US President also asked the world to stand up against prejudice, stereotyping and violence including the scourge of anti-Semitism.
Remembering the ordinary people who expressed the best of the human capacity for compassion and justice by risking their lives to save their fellow people during the Holocaust, he said, "They demonstrated that in the midst of evil, human beings can perform remarkable acts of decency and dignity."
"Finally, on Holocaust Remembrance Day, we remember the survivors and the profound faith and courage they have embodied to build lives of purpose and meaning. In doing so, they are defying those who tried to kill them, and teaching us that love and life can vanquish hate and death," he added.
"Let us honour them, and those we lost, by building a more peaceful, just and tolerant world," Obama said.
PTI
First Published: Friday, January 28, 2011, 10:03