Speaker of the House of Representatives Anita Demetriou called on the students of the Pancyprian Gymnasium to draw lessons from the Holocaust, who attended an event organized by the Embassy of Israel and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth on Wednesday at the Museum of the Pancyprian Gymnasium, on the occasion of the Holocaust Victims' Remembrance Day.
The event was also attended by the Ambassador of Israel to Cyprus, Oren Anolik, and Moshe Haelion, a Holocaust survivor, as well as the principal, teachers and students of the Pancyprian Gymnasium.
In her speech, Mrs. Demetriou, addressing Mr. Haelion, expressed her gratitude for the fact that she shared with those present what she experienced, "thus contributing, in the most direct way, to the preservation of the collective memory of the Holocaust." She also thanked Mr Haelion for giving the students the opportunity "to learn valuable lessons so that such atrocities can be prevented in the future".
The President stressed the magnitude and significance of "this heinous crime" - as she described the Holocaust - beyond the numbers, referring to "tragic human stories of children, men and women, who were persecuted, not for committing a crime, but for their identity and their faith".
What happened then, Demetriou continued, offers us the opportunity "to seriously reflect on the rise of hate speech, especially on social media, and to understand how relevant and useful the teaching of the Holocaust is."
At the same time, the Speaker of Parliament highlighted the importance of education, through which young people will build the society of tomorrow on the basis of solidarity and respect for diversity. "Our young people must develop critical thinking, a sense of social responsibility and understand the necessity of their participation in the political and social life of their country, with an emphasis on universal principles and values, human rights, democracy and the rule of law."
Addressing the students, Mrs. Demetriou, called on them to protect society and create a better world than today's, drawing on the lessons of the Holocaust, as well as to condemn at every opportunity anti-Semitism, blind bigotry and every manifestation of racism, discrimination and intolerance.
"We need to truly reflect on what kind of society we want and to collectively and coherently secure this society, all of us together, led by you, the responsibility and hope but for the tomorrow we want and deserve."
Source: CNA
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