Survey conducted for International Holocaust Remembrance Day reveals worrying trends.
By AMY SPIROUpdated: JANUARY 28, 2019 06:07Protesters hold placards and flags during a demonstration, organised by the British Board of Jewish Deputies for those who oppose anti-Semitism, in Parliament Square in London, Britain, March 26, 2018.(photo credit: HENRY NICHOLLS/REUTERS)
One in 20 people in the United Kingdom don’t believe the Holocaust really took place, according to a poll. This finding indicates there could be more than 3 million Holocaust deniers living in Britain in 2019.This staggering statistic is part of the findings of a survey conducted by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, and released Sunday to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day.According to the survey, which polled more than 2,000 people, 8% of British adults believe the scale of the Holocaust has been exaggerated. And 64% of those polled either didn’t know how many Jews were murdered in the Holocaust or grossly underestimated the figure. Almost 20% believed that less than 2 million Jews were killed in the Holocaust, while 45% said they didn’t know the answer. Historians widely hold that approximately 6 million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust.In England, public schools are legally mandated to teach the Holocaust to pupils. Such a requirement does not exist in Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales, although it is believed to be widely taught there.“Such widespread ignorance and even denial is shocking,” said Olivia Marks-Woldman, chief executive of the government-funded Holocaust Memorial Day Trust. “Without a basic understanding of this recent history, we are in danger of failing to learn where a lack of respect for difference and hostility to others can ultimately lead. With a rise in reported hate crime in the UK and ongoing international conflicts with a risk of genocide, our world can feel fragile and vulnerable. We cannot be complacent.”The survey also found that 83% of respondents said it is important to learn about the Holocaust, and 76% believe more must be done in terms of Holocaust education.“I find these figures terribly worrying,” said Holocaust survivor Steven Frank, who lived through three concentration camps.“At one of my talks, I met someone who said the Holocaust didn’t happen. The only way to fight this kind of denial and antisemitism is with the truth – I tell people what happened, what I saw and what I experienced. Education is so important. If we ignore the past, I fear history will repeat itself.”
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