The recognition and denial of the Holocaust remain matters of pressing concern

Eighty years ago, in a quiet and cozy suburb of Berlin, a horrifying decision was made, which, fortunately, was not destined to be fully realized. On January 20, 1942, at a formal meeting that lasted just 90 minutes, it was decreed to implement the plan for the "Final Solution of the Jewish Question," which entailed the systematic annihilation of the entire Jewish population on the Eurasian continent. For those who are not particularly familiar with the history of the Wannsee Conference and its aftermath, this may seem abstract and somewhat unrealistic. Regrettably, in 1942, the situation was quite different. The leadership of Nazi Germany was determined to execute this meticulously planned, monstrous scheme. The scale of even its partial implementation is something we are still striving to comprehend to this day.

However, the further we move away from those events, and the more abstract and irrelevant they appear to younger generations, the more critical the official state recognition of the Holocaust becomes. Evidently, in today's world, there is no unanimous consensus on historical truth. Furthermore, under modern conditions of mass-produced fake news and the instantaneous dissemination of various fringe theories, historical truth — despite its factual certainty — sometimes becomes a fragile element in need of preservation. Unfortunately, even a tragedy as recent, monumental, and thoroughly documented as the Holocaust is still questioned by many today, and historical interpretations and assessments of clear-cut events are turned into tools in political gameplay.

This is largely why the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, established by the UN in 2005 and observed on January 27, is not merely another ceremonial formality, particularly given that this date is integrated into the official calendars of many nations. Recently, Azerbaijan committed to officially observing this day at the state level. This was personally announced by the President of the Republic, Ilham Aliyev, during a meeting with Rabbi Marc Schneier, President of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding and a prominent advocate for Jewish-Muslim interfaith dialogue. Consequently, Azerbaijan became one of the few predominantly Muslim economies to officially honor the victims of the Holocaust.

In April 2021, as part of the normalization of relations with Israel, the UAE became the first Muslim nation to officially observe the Israeli Yom HaShoah (the 27th of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar) alongside the International Remembrance Day. In the summer of 2021, Dubai also hosted the first Holocaust exhibition in the Arab world. Last year, Dr. Mohammad Al-Issa, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia and current Secretary General of the Muslim World League, visited Auschwitz as part of a joint Jewish-Muslim delegation.

Holocaust Remembrance Day is also officially observed in Albania, another predominantly Muslim nation. In 2020, Belgrade unveiled a memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. Albania takes pride in the fact that its citizens protected local Jews, and the country was the only European nation where the Jewish population increased during the war.

These and other official efforts to memorialize the Holocaust, particularly in the Muslim world, represent a significant step forward, yet they remain insufficient to counter the trend of Holocaust denial. To this end, the next critical step is the adoption of the working definition of antisemitism developed by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). Among other aspects, this comprehensive definition includes denouncing the denial of the scope, facts, mechanisms, or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people committed by Nazi Germany and its accomplices during World War II. In our view, the IHRA definition provides a solid legal framework for combatting Holocaust denial and should be adopted by a wider number of states.

The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress actively promotes the adoption of the IHRA definition among the countries of the region and consistently urges state leaders to establish clear policies regarding Holocaust remembrance.

In April 2021, the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova passed a law criminalizing Holocaust denial, and the promotion of xenophobia, racism, and fascism. The Chairman of the Jewish Community of Moldova and Vice President of the EAJC, Alexander Bilinkis, was directly involved in drafting this legislation. In September, a similar law was adopted in Ukraine.

In Moldova, swastikas still appear on Jewish monuments and cemeteries, and in Ukraine, mass marches glorifying individuals who participated in the mass murder of Jews during the war continue to take place. In Russia, where, according to surveys cited in a recent EAJC publication on antisemitism, most respondents have heard of the Holocaust, a seminar leader for school principals in St. Petersburg actively promotes Holocaust denial theories. Nonetheless, change does not occur overnight, and the relevant legislation is a vital first step, establishing the legal basis and precedent for holding offenders accountable.

From a historical perspective, 80 years is a very short period. However, in terms of perception and the historical truth of even recent events, the situation is clearly not so simple. Despite the overwhelming volume of physical evidence, and all the efforts dedicated to education and remembrance, the issue of Holocaust recognition and denial remains highly relevant. At a time when history and its interpretation are utilized for political agendas, we urge the governments of all nations to pass laws prohibiting Holocaust denial, ratify the IHRA definition of antisemitism, and integrate Holocaust education into national school curricula.