Cllr James Halden, Mayor of Thurrock, and Cllr Qaisar Abbas, Cabinet Member for Communities and Equalities, were joined by residents and speakers representing the Bosnian community on the morning of Monday 4 July where they raised the flag at St Peter and St Paul’s Church outside the Civic Offices.
Following the event, a commemorative tree was blessed by Imam Muhammad Ohidur Rahman, Imam Grays Mosque and a memorial plaque was presented by Cllr Qaisar Abbas in Grays Town Park, to observe the anniversary of the 1995 genocide which tragically saw more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys lose their lives, and thousands of women and families devastated. Information from the Remembering Srebrenica Foundation along with details of local training opportunities were also shared at the event.
The Mayor said: "I am very proud that Thurrock Council has made an official commitment to Remember Srebrenica each year and, in doing so, bringing together our community to remember victims and survivors. Lessons learned from Srebrenica demonstrate how hatred and intolerance can flourish if left unchallenged – even in a country such as Bosnia and Herzegovina where people of different faiths had lived peacefully together for many years. Today we send a strong message as we demonstrate our solidarity in the face of hatred and show our respect for those who lost their lives."
Cllr Abbas said: "I have seen first-hand in our community how the peoples from different backgrounds, ethnicities and faiths have come together to support one another in recent times, which makes me feel incredibly proud of our borough. We honour the victims along with the survivors of the Srebrenica genocide, including those who came to Thurrock to escape the hatred and violence they had witnessed or experienced. Today, we pledge ourselves to creating a stronger and more cohesive society for all."
Photo below: Cllr James Halden, Mayor of Thurrock, with the Remembering Srebrenica flag.
