Service For Srebrenica Memorial Day

Our students were invited to attend “A Service of Solemn Commemoration for Srebrenica Memorial Day” at St Paul’s Cathedral in London. This service was to help all to understand the consequences of leaving hatred and intolerance unchallenged.  By confronting these twin evils, the service hoped to illuminate the darkness and create a better, safer, and stronger society for all. 

The theme of the remembrance was ‘Remember Yesterday, Act Today.’  It was well attended by many dignitaries including members of Parliament, religious and community leaders, ambassadors, and the survivors themselves.  Students, many of them visiting St Paul's for the first time, were in awe of the sheer size of the cathedral as well as its beauty and art on the inside. The service began with a processional hymn, bidding prayers, and an act of remembrance where 30 dignitaries including the Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, lit candles for the 30 years that have passed since the Bosnian genocide.  Students then heard testimonies from Munira Subasic and Elmina Kulasic who survived the genocide.  Their message was one of warning, but also one of hope. 

The service continued with the His Eminence Reis Husein Kavazovic, the Grand Mufti of Bosnia and Herzegovina, reading uplifting verses from the Qur’an.  Next The Lord Khan of Burnley, who is the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and Lords Minister for Faith, Communities and Resettlement introduced a musical performance by members of the Opera of the National Theatre of Sarajevo. This profound and soulful song was called ‘The White Flower’ and is written from the perspective of a murdered child during the genocide trying to comfort their grieving mother. The Right Honourable Angela Rayner, Deputy Prime Minister, then gave an address on the importance of standing up to those who would hate and be intolerant to others.  Presidents Zeljko Komsic and Denis Becirovic next spoke about the genocide and the current political state of Bosnia. The ceremony included readings from the New Testament, anthems from the choir, and an address given by the Dean of St. Paul’s which urged unity and tolerance for all. It concluded with prayers of intercession led by young Bosnians whose families were affected by the genocide and communal prayers. The blessing at the end was given by the Right Reverend and Right Honourable Dame Sarah Mullally, DBE, Bishop of London.  After the service, students had time to speak to some of the dignitaries and have a look around St. Paul’s Cathedral. Some comments from the children were: "This is something I’ve never experienced or most likely will never experience again so I’m thankful to our school for enabling us to experience something so life changing. It was amazing to hear from survivors and even second generation survivors. It most definitely had me in tears. Seeing important members of society in one place remembering Srebrenica was also fundamental, hearing them care about issues like this shows me as a citizen that our country is headed the right way."

Another student remarked, ‘I am very thankful for this opportunity to learn about the atrocities of Srebrenica in more detail which shows the consequences of being ignorant of conflict. After listening to the testimonies of multiple victims’ experiences, I want to ensure that it never happens again. I also enjoyed looking around St Paul’s Cathedral and seeing all the statues and historical paintings as well as crossing the bridge and spotting the globe theatre."

We are very grateful to Mr. Paul Salver BEM and Remembering Srebrenica for inviting us to experience such a solemn and thought-provoking event.  We do promise to ‘Remember Yesterday and Act Today’ as the Remembering Srebrenica memorial service urges us to do.