Jews and Muslims unite in Bosnia-Herzegovina to commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day
Jews and Muslims from Bosnia and beyond gather in Srebrenica to commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day
In a poignant display of solidarity, Jews and Muslims from Bosnia and beyond congregated in Srebrenica on Saturday to jointly observe International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The event, organized by the center dedicated to preserving the memory of Europe’s sole acknowledged genocide since the Holocaust, emphasized unity amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
The gathering served as a powerful reminder that both communities, intimately familiar with persecution, share a commitment to peace. Husein Kavazović, the head of Bosnia’s Islamic Community, addressed the audience, expressing the interconnectedness of Bosnian Muslims and Jews. He emphasized the need for unity in the face of rising antisemitism and Islamophobia globally.
“Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Jews are one body, our ties are intricate, forged in hard times and times of prosperity and interaction,” Kavazović stated. “At the present moment, when the evils of antisemitism and Islamophobia are gaining ground around Europe and the world, we must renew our vow to be good neighbors and care for one another.”
Menachem Rosensaft, a child of Holocaust survivors, joined the commemoration. Rosensaft, formerly the general counsel for the World Jewish Congress, underscored the importance of joint commitment in preventing the recurrence of historical horrors.
“This commemoration is the place for us to jointly commit ourselves to doing everything in our power to prevent the horrors we remember here today from being repeated,” Rosensaft declared.
Recalling stories of mutual support during times of crisis, Rosensaft highlighted instances where Bosnian Muslims protected their Jewish neighbors from the Nazis and, later, Bosnian Jews assisted and cared for their Muslim counterparts during the country’s internecine war.
The event concluded with the launch of the Srebrenica Muslim-Jewish Peace and Remembrance Initiative. Signed by Rosensaft and Kavazović, the initiative aims to foster collaboration in times of crisis, maintain consistent and compassionate communication, and actively remember and commemorate victims of past genocides while denouncing all forms of bigotry. The signing was witnessed by Srebrenica massacre survivor Munira Subašić and the leader of Bosnia’s Jewish community, Jakob Finci, born in a concentration camp in 1943.
Source: AP
