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This year marks the 27th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, in which over 8,000 Muslim men and boys were murdered simply because of their religious identity in the worst atrocity on European soil since WWII.
Havant Borough Council believes that we must never forget the genocide and reaffirm our commitment to opposing all forms of hatred and prejudice that target groups based on their religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or any other type of difference.
The Mayor of Havant, Councillor Diana Patrick, today raised the Srebrenica flag outside the Public Service Plaza in Havant to mark the start of Srebrenica Memorial Week.
‘It is important for us to come together to celebrate diversity and to stand together in solidarity against hatred and discrimination,’ said Councillor Patrick. We commemorate this tragic anniversary to ensure that we do not forget the horrors of the past and that we all learn from them.’
In addition to raising the flag, the Mayor and Havant Borough Council Leader Councillor Alex Rennie visited the Holocaust Memorial in Havant Cemetery to light a candle and reflect on all genocides.
Last year, Councillor Alex Rennie visited Srebrenica and heard firsthand accounts from survivors such as Hasan Hasanovi, who survived a 100-kilometer march through hostile terrain to escape the massacre. During the massacre, both his father and twin brother were killed.
“Having visited Srebrenica and witnessed firsthand the terrible consequences of genocide, it is only right that we remember and pay respect to those victims here in Havant,” he said. We must all unite in our opposition to all forms of hatred and prejudice that lead to violence and conflict.”
