We must remember the Holocaust, says imam survivor of Srbrenica
Wembley Stadium hosts its first Holocaust Memorial Day ceremony ahead of 80th anniversary of liberation of Auschwitz
Justin Cohen is the News Editor at the Jewish News
The chief imam of the UK’s Bosnian community has spoken of the importance of keeping alive the memory of the Holocaust during an historic event at Wembley Stadium.
Sedin Sahman was among the speakers at a commemoration last Thursday in the lead-up to the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
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The imam, who as a child survived the 1995 genocide at Srbrenica when more than 8300 Muslim men and boys were killed, spoke of the “children who witnessed the death of their parents, parents who lost children in the most unimaginable ways, parents forced to make decisions about which child lives and which don’t”. Aged 10 at the time, he recalled surviving by “moving from place to place..as bombs destroyed everything around us”.
He told the gathering organised by Brent Council and supported by the FA: “The Holocaust is not just a chapter in historic, it’s a warning. We must speak about the Holocaust. We must speak about Srbrenica. These are not just stories, they are scars that remain on the souls of survivors.”
Dr Agnes Kaposi, a 92-year-old survivor of the Debrecen Ghetto, warned that the world had failed to learn from the Shoah as she gave testimony. She recalled how 440,000 Hungarian Jews were moved to Auschwitz in just 56 days in transports without food, water or sanitation. “Some went mad, some died and those who survived would never forget it, she told the audience including MPs Dawn Butler and Barry Gardiner.

Aged just 11 at the time, her train was diverted. 12 miles from the notorious camp. “if it hadn’t had been I wouldn’t be here and nor would my beautiful family. What chance would I have had as an 11-year-old.” Rising to become asenior fellow at the Royal Academy of Engineering at a time when a lack of female leaders meant she was sometimes mistaken for a tea lady, she received a rousing round of applause as she described her five grandchildren as her great achievement. She is currently writing her third book with a descendent of an SS officer.
The event, which featured a performance by the London Cantorial Singers, was also addressed by the head of diversity and inclusion at the FA Dal Singh Darroch. He said that visiting Bergen Belsen with a group of England fans during the Euros last year “will stay with me forever.
“Holocaust Memorial Day invites reflection on how belief systems, when distorted by hatred or prejudice, can lead to devastating consequences, emphasising the need to uphold values of compassion, justice, and tolerance.”
He added: “In a time when antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism, and hate crimes are resurging in many parts of the globe as well as in our game – the beautiful game of football, it calls on individuals and societies to confront these dangers and reaffirm their commitment to justice, tolerance, and human rights.”
The event concluded with a performance from the JFS choir and words from two young Holocaust Educational Trust ambassadors, who visited Auschwitz with the charity and are now telling their peers about what they saw. “Our generation will be the last yo hear from survivors,” they warned. “Learning from the past is so important to prevent future atrocities.”
Brent’s deputy leader Cllr Mili Patel said HMD was a moment to remember where prejudice can lead. “Brent is and will always will be a place for everyone. We’ve always been proud of our diverse and migrant community.”
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