Canada forgets to mention Jewish people at Holocaust memorial
Image copyright Prime Minister’s Office Image caption Prime Minister Trudeau attends the opening of the National Holocaust Monument
A plaque has been removed from Canada’s Holocaust memorial because it neglected to mention Jewish people.
PM Justin Trudeau opened the National Holocaust Monument last week in the capital Ottawa.
The plaque commemorated the “millions of men, women and children murdered” but did not specifically mention Jewish people or anti-Semitism.
About six million Jews were killed in the Holocaust, the largest group to be persecuted by the Nazis.
The omission was seized upon by MPs and senators of the opposition Conservative Party on Tuesday.
“If we are going to stamp out hatred toward Jews, it is important to get history right,” said MP David Sweet.
Skip Twitter post by @LindaFrum
In Justin Trudeau's Canada the new Holocaust Monument plaque doesn't mention Jews, Anti-Semitism or the 6 Million. pic.twitter.com/byPGME6V6S
— Senator Linda Frum (@LindaFrum) October 3, 2017 Report
End of Twitter post by @LindaFrum
Heritage Minister Melanie Joly assured parliament that the plaque had been removed, and would be replaced with one that reflects “the horrors experienced by the Jewish people”.
The omission on the plaque appears to have been an oversight – during the opening on 27 September both anti-Semitism and the effects of the Holocaust on the Jewish people were mentioned.
“Today we reaffirm our unshakeable commitment to fight anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia and discrimination in all its forms, and we pay tribute to those who experienced the worst of humanity. We can honour them by fighting hatred with love, and seeking always to see ourselves in each other,” Mr Trudeau said at the unveiling.
Until then, Canada had been the only Allied power to not have a national Holocaust memorial.
Earlier this year, US President Donald Trump was admonished for failing to use the word Jew on Holocaust Remembrance Day.
