Haringey Council came together to mark Srebrenica Memorial Day, with Council leader Cllr Peray Ahmet joining Mayor of Haringey, Cllr Gina Adamou and other councillors to light candles in memory of the victims of the 1995 Srebrenica genocide.
Cllr Peray Ahmet, Leader of Haringey Council, said: “I, the Mayor Cllr Gina Adamou, and other councillors came together to remember the victims of the Srebrenica genocide – on Srebrenica Memorial Day.
“We remember the 8,372 mostly Muslim men and boys who were murdered on 11th July 1995. We lit 11 candles in remembrance of the lives lost and destroyed by hatred.
“Each candle represents a pledge that we make to remember the genocide; to learn its lessons and work to build a stronger and more cohesive society. We pledge to challenge language of ‘us and them’.
“We pledge to stand up to stereotyping and scapegoating. We pledge that we will remember our common humanity.
“We remember and honour the memory of the victims and pledge to work towards building a more cohesive, stronger and safer society free from hatred, discrimination and prejudice. I hope that you might find a few moments in your busy day to do the same.”
On 11 July, the world will be paying tribute to the victims of the genocide and sending a clear message to future generations to say 'never again'. This year's Srebrenica Memorial Day saw communities across the UK commemorating the 27th anniversary of the genocide, in which over 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were murdered, simply because of their faith.
