Jewish Community in Bulgaria Marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Sofia, January 27 (BTA) - Today the ghost of the Holocaust is more visible than ever, maybe not under the same form, but with the use of the same tricks of disinformation and falsification of history, Alexander Oskar, Chairman of the Organization of Jews in Bulgaria 'Shalom', told a BTA-hosted news conference on Friday. Shalom's briefing was occasioned by International Holocaust Remembrance Day themed 'Holocaust Remembrance: Educating for a Better Future'.

Words have the power to kill and hate speech should not be left without an answer, Oskar underscored. In his opinion, in the age of internet and social networks, propaganda war is becoming increasingly dangerous. This is one of the main forms of anti-Semitism the people in Bulgaria are fighting today - hate speech from anonymous internet users who conceal their identity but not their evil intentions, he added.

Oskar appealed to all Bulgarian citizens, governmental and nongovernmental organisations, educational, cultural institutions and media to take up a firm stand against racism and anti-Semitism.

Education about matters relevant to the Holocaust and the death of millions, but also about the salvation of thousands is the key to the fight against the attempts to restore the past. Hate speech, xenophobia, racism and anti-Semitism are not aimed only against Jews. They attack millions of people across the world every day, Oskar said. The task is to oppose the attacks not once a year but every day by the means of a free, democratic civic society.