[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 52 (Thursday, May 4, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E724]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 4, 2006

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in solidity with Jews 
across this nation and around the world to pay tribute to those who 
perished at the hands of the Nazis during the Holocaust. Today in the 
Nation's Capital, we gather to pay our respects at the National 
Commemoration of the Days of Remembrance. I would like to thank the 
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum for arranging this important 
and emotional event.
  My district, the 9th Congressional District of Illinois, is home to 
perhaps the largest concentration of survivors in the country and 
certainly in the state, and this day holds deep meaning for those 
individuals and the entire community.
  Recent events in the Middle East and around the world underscore the 
importance of this day. Anti-Semitic and anti-Israel rhetoric and 
demonstrations continue in numerous countries. And the President of one 
these countries, Iran, has threatened to use nuclear weapons to wipe 
Israel off the face of the map.
  With anti-Semitism on the rise we must be reminded that ``Never 
Again'' is not a guarantee, but a pledge that we must uphold through 
education, dialogue, and determination. It also reminds us that we must 
continue to strengthen the U.S. commitment to the security of Israel. 
Moreover, we must redouble our efforts to bring lasting peace to the 
Middle East.
  ``Never Again'' means that we must combat hate wherever it exists. 
While the Holocaust was a unique incident, a genocide is taking place 
right in front of our eyes in the Darfur region of Sudan. I recently 
traveled to Darfur where President Bush and the U.S. Congress have 
officially acknowledged ``genocide'' is taking place. According to 
official estimates, out of an estimated pre-conflict population of 7 
million in Darfur, anywhere between 180,000 and 400,000 Darfurians have 
already died and over 2 million have been displaced. The conflict has 
spilled across international borders and hundreds of thousands have 
fled into Chad. The window to provide security and hope is narrowing. 
According to the Commander of the African Union forces who briefed the 
participants of my Congressional Delegation in Darfur, ``There is no 
sense of urgency outside.''
  As a Jew I cannot sit idle while these atrocities continue to unfold 
in Darfur. The lessons from the Holocaust have taught us that we must 
never turn a blind eye to terror or discrimination. We must demand that 
our government hold those who carry out acts of needless brutality 
accountable. I believe that everyone should take a moment today to 
consider the role of the U.S. in the prevention and prosecution of 
genocide.
  We must honor those who were lost during the Holocaust by carrying on 
and living honorable and productive lives. At the same time we must 
also honor them by carrying out measures to bring to justice those who 
were implicated and who profited from their suffering. And we must do 
everything within our power to provide the utmost measure of 
restitution for those who survived the Nazi's evil plan.
  The Holocaust was the most horrific human atrocity the world saw 
during the last century and perhaps in the history of the planet. 
Millions of Jews and others were brutalized, raped, beaten, 
dehumanized, enslaved, robbed, and murdered. While it is hard to grasp 
how terrible those events must have been, what all of our children, and 
us must do is to listen to the stories of those few remaining survivors 
of the Holocaust and ensure that their stories and their suffering are 
a permanent part of history.
  Today we honor and mourn those who perished. We vow to live our lives 
in a way that pays tribute to their memory and ensures others will not 
suffer their fate.

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