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Jehovah’s Witnesses marking Holocaust Remembrance Day

PARKERSBURG — International Holocaust Remembrance Day Friday honors the memory of all those who were victimized by the Nazi regime.

Among the lesser known groups who were targeted is the Jehovah’s Witnesses, thousands of whom were executed or languished in Nazi concentration camps alongside millions of Jews.

Although Nazi terror targeted millions for reasons of biology, nationality, or political ideology, Jehovah’s Witnesses were “the only group in the Third Reich to be persecuted on the basis of their religious beliefs alone,” notes Professor Robert Gerwarth.

Holocaust museums and memorials around the world display artifacts and plaques commemorating the persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses, according to Delvin King, local public information representative for the U.S. branch of the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

“Remembering the Witnesses’ experiences is important since they are likewise being systematically attacked–imprisoned, beaten, and tortured–for peacefully practicing their faith in some countries, Russia being the foremost persecutor,” he said.

King noted Jehovah’s Witnesses have educational resources that raise awareness of this critical time in history, its impact on human rights, and first-person accounts that demonstrate faith, dignity, and resilience in the face of inhumane treatment from the Nazi regime.

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