2007年VOA标准英语-UN Holds Holocaust Memorial Service

（单词翻译）

By Peter Heinlein
United Nations
29 January 2007

The United Nations has held observances to mark the International Day of Commemoration of Victims of the Holocaust¹. VOA's correspondent at the U.N. Peter Heinlein reports.

The U.N. General Assembly Hall was filled Monday with Holocaust survivors², along with relatives and friends of victims. They were there to observe the second annual Holocaust Remembrance Day, dedicated³ to teaching young people about the dangers of hatred⁴, bigotry⁵ and racism⁶.

Israel's U.N. ambassador, Dan Gillerman, reminded the visitors that they were sitting in the same seats where, in 1975, General Assembly delegates adopted a resolution equating⁷ Zionism and racism.

He said, "Your presence here today, filling this very hall, where only 30 years ago, Zionism was equated⁸ with racism, is the ultimate answer to all the evil rhetoric⁹, and the ultimate victory of good over evil."

The Zionism-equals-racism resolution was eventually revoked¹⁰ in 1991 by an overwhelming majority of the Assembly.

The current Assembly President, Sheikha Haya Rashed al-Khalifa, called the Holocaust a "unique evil," with consequences that reverberate¹¹ in the present.

Sheikha Haya, a Bahraini national reminded the gathering¹² of the need to remain vigilant¹³ against the forces of hatred engaged in genocide and other horrific crimes around the world.

"It is a tragedy that the international community has not been able to stop new horrors in the years since the Holocaust," said Haya. "This makes it all the more important that we remember the lessons of the past so that we do not make the same mistakes in the future."

Monday's observance opened a week of Holocaust remembrance activities at U.N.

The General Assembly adopted a resolution last Friday condemning¹⁴ attempts to deny the Holocaust. The measure was approved without a vote, although one country, Iran, spoke¹⁵ out against it.

Holocaust Memorial Day is timed to coincide with the date in January 1945 when Soviet¹⁶ troops liberated¹⁷ the infamous¹⁸ Nazi¹⁹ death camp at Auschwitz.