Nearly two-thirds of respondents (64 percent) either could not say how many Jews were killed or “grossly” under-estimated the number in a survey of more than 2 000 people conducted by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT) in the UK.
While five percent subscribed to the “Holocaust denial” category, some eight percent said they believes the number of six million had been exaggerated.
“Such widespread ignorance and even denial is shocking,” HMDT chief executive Olivia Marks-Woldman told Breitbart. “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… We cannot be complacent.”
On Sunday, politicians and members of the public gathered to mark Holocaust Memorial Day in the UK, with ceremonies held in London, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland during the day.
UK Communities Secretary James Brokenshire, who spoke at a Sunday event, said: “It remains essential now as ever to remember the Holocaust, to understand why it happened and to learn the stark lessons it gives.”
He added: “This Government is clear that anti-Semitism has no place in our society and we all have a role to play in confronting hatred and extremism whenever and wherever it occurs.”
But he gave no indication of the measure that will be taken to enforce this.
The day also marks the 25th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide and 40 years since the end of the genocide in Cambodia.