We must remember the Holocaust, says imam survivor of Srbrenica
search

The latest Jewish News

Read this week’s digital edition

Click Here

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.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFVh9xVMd3W/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

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.

Dal Singh Darroch

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.”

Support your Jewish community. Support your Jewish News

Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.

For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.

Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.

You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.

100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...

Engaging

Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.

Celebrating

There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.

Pioneering

In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.

Campaigning

Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.

Easy access

In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.

Voice of our community to wider society

The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.

We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.

read more: