Simon Wiesenthal Centre issues 12th Annual Interfaith Calendar: “Every Day a Celebration Day”

February 1, 2017

SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTRE-EUROPE
Tel.: +33(0)1 47 23 76 37
Fax: +33(0)1 47 20 84 01
Email: csweurope@gmail.com

"This edition is dedicated to the memory of all victims of terrorism – from Paris to Jerusalem, Nice to Berlin and beyond and all who are dedicated to freedom of expression, religious tolerance, the defense of fundamental rights and against incitement to hate and violence."

Paris, 1 February 2017

The late Simon Wiesenthal compiled a calendar of Man’s inhumanity to Man, entitled “Every Day a Memorial Day”. For the 12th year the Simon Wiesenthal Centre-Europe presents a counterpart calendar based on hope.

The Centre's Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, explained, "'Every Day a Celebration Day', focuses upon Man’s relationship with his Creator, by listing the religious holidays of the rainbow of faith communities residing in Europe and beyond."

"Besides the main denominations within Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the calendar adds the holidays of the Bahai, Buddhists, Daoists, Druze, Hindu, Jains, Rastafari, Shinto, Sikhs. Though smaller in number, these and other communities are ever more present in a multicultural Europe," added Samuels.

The Centre provides this list in solidarity with all believers and as a public service for employers, trade unions, municipalities, educational institutions, religious organizations, NGOs, law enforcement, the military and all state and public interfaces… noting, "We hope, thus, to enhance respect toward and within faiths, to heighten sensitivity to our differences and to share our commonalities."

Samuels highlighted this edition as, "Dedicated to the memory of all victims of terrorism - from Paris to Jerusalem, Nice to Berlin and beyond. We stand in solidarity with the families of those killed and wounded, alongside the medical staff, the journalists, educators and all who are dedicated to freedom of expression, religious tolerance, the defense of fundamental rights and against incitement to hate and violence."

The Centre welcomes comments and proposals on how this interfaith calendar may be improved and more widely disseminated.

"May we all enjoy health, tranquility, fraternity throughout 2017. May every day may be a joyous celebration," concluded Samuels.

For further information please contact Shimon Samuels 00 33 609 770 158, join the Center on Facebook, www.facebook.com/simonwiesenthalcenter, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent direct to your Twitter feed.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400,000 member families in the United States. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the OAS, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino).