WILLIAMS URGES COLLEAGUES TO STAND AGAINST INTOLERANCE

 HARRISBURG, APRIL 19 – State Sen. Connie Williams called on her colleagues and all Pennsylvanians to use Holocaust Remembrance Day not just as a way to remember holocaust victims and survivors, but as a way to promote tolerance and inclusion in the world.

 “People know the basic facts of the Holocaust, during which 6 million Jews were murdered and millions more imprisoned,” Williams said. “While I believe remembering the holocaust and its victims is important not only to Jews, but to people of every race and religion, I also believe that simply remembering is not enough. We – everyone – cannot continue to ignore the humanitarian crises that are going on right now – in our own country and around the world.”

 Williams offered comments on the Senate floor in recognition of a resolution proclaiming April 23^rd through 30^th as Days of Remembrance of Victims of the Holocaust. The resolution was adopted today.

 In her remarks she spoke of religious persecution in Asia and the Middle East, as well as the genocide that continues in Darfur. More than 400,000 people in Darfur were murdered since 2003 and more than 100 continue to die each day.

 “We cannot stand aside as certain world leaders continue to deny the facts of the Holocaust. We cannot stand aside as hate groups make a spectacle of themselves at military funerals,” Williams said. “The holocaust is not just about the past – it is about our future. We must ask what we are doing about the genocide that is taking place today. How can we honestly say ‘never again?’”

 “In our own country people continue to be judged on their race, faith and sexual orientation,” Williams said. “The holocaust – genocide of any sort – is a symbol of total disregard for humanity and human rights. It goes against everything our country was founded on. It cannot be tolerated in any form.”

 “Next week, as we observe the Days of Remembrance in Pennsylvania, I urge everyone to remember not only the victims of the holocaust, but to use this opportunity to promote tolerance and inclusion in their communities, in their state and in the world,” Williams said.