“It suggests some lives are more important than others”

The NUS has lit up the Twitters again.

The National Union of Students caused widespread outrage on Wednesday after students applauded motions not to commemorate the Holocaust, because doing so isn’t ‘inclusive’.

Inclusive of – ? Nazis? Hitler’s memory? People who hate Jews? People who love genocide?

The motion to remember the Holocaust did end up passing, but what is this idea that commemorating it isn’t inclusive? Are the applauding students worried about the feelings of people who like to see whole populations wiped out?

An amendment to a motion combating anti-Semitism on campuses argued that “education is vital”.

They said the NUS should organise campuses into creating events on Holocause Memorial Day.

Darta Kaleja, from Chester University, shocked many by speaking against the amendment.

She told the conference: “I am against the NUS ignoring and forgetting other mass genocides and prioritising others.

“It suggests some lives are more important than others.

“When during my education was I taught about the genocides in Tibet or Rwanda?

“It is important to commemorate all of them.”

If no part of her education told her about the genocide in Rwanda, that’s shocking – but it’s not a reason to oppose commemorating the very large genocide perpetrated by the Nazis.

 

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