Yesterday, Sunday January 27, 2008 was the 63rd Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) with ceremonies and processions to honor the 6 million adults and children killed by the Nazis during World War II, and to mark the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau.
HMD is distinct from Yom HaShoah, the Jewish day of remembrance for the Jewish victims of the Nazis, which falls in late April.
It's ironic that the reason I know Holocaust Memorial Day was yesterday, is because I read the front page of the English version of Al Jazeera the Arab-Muslim Television Network from Doha, Qatar.
Al Jazeera - English
While countries throughout Europe marked the day, and the press even in the heartland of the Middle East made note of this day, the American press was more concerned with a possible Britney sighting or what drugs Keith Ledger may have been on when he died.
Our lack of interest as well as the recent tragedies in Rwanda, Darfur and now Kenya show that the international community, and each of us as citizens, has not truly understood the lessons of the Holocaust.
By the way Al Jazeera means (are you ready for this?) "The Peninsula" in Arabic.
We have more in common with the Middle East than you might think.
HMD is distinct from Yom HaShoah, the Jewish day of remembrance for the Jewish victims of the Nazis, which falls in late April.
It's ironic that the reason I know Holocaust Memorial Day was yesterday, is because I read the front page of the English version of Al Jazeera the Arab-Muslim Television Network from Doha, Qatar.
Al Jazeera - English
While countries throughout Europe marked the day, and the press even in the heartland of the Middle East made note of this day, the American press was more concerned with a possible Britney sighting or what drugs Keith Ledger may have been on when he died.
Our lack of interest as well as the recent tragedies in Rwanda, Darfur and now Kenya show that the international community, and each of us as citizens, has not truly understood the lessons of the Holocaust.
By the way Al Jazeera means (are you ready for this?) "The Peninsula" in Arabic.
We have more in common with the Middle East than you might think.
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