British Muslims across the UK will be marking Holocaust Memorial Day on Saturday 27th January.

In London, City Circle, a network of young Muslim professionals, joined with the Holocaust Educational Trust to remember the victims of the Holocaust and other more recent genocides.

On Tuesday 23rd January, Muslim and Jewish young professionals heard together the first-hand testimony of Holocaust survivor, Trude Levi and Rwandan survivor Jean Mazimpaka with comment from Dr. Ger Duijzings specialist on East European Studies with a particular focus on the Kosovo crisis and Professor Brian Brivati, author and academic expert on comparative genocide.

Prior to the talk, attendees were invited to sign the Holocaust Memorial Day Book of Commitment. The survivor testimony was followed by a question and answer session to enable attendees to understand from a personal perspective the nature of the Holocaust and to explore its lessons in more depth.
Ahead of the event, Asim Siddiqui, Chairman of City Circle, said: “The Holocaust represents an example of mass murder and genocide that should never be forgotten, particularly at a time when Europe is uneasy about, and even fearful of, its minorities, including its Muslims. The Srebrenica massacre on our doorstep, only eleven years ago, and the Rwandan genocide of 1994, in which up to a million people were killed, remind us that no-one can afford to be complacent about any increase in racism and intolerance in Europe or anywhere else.”

Karen Pollock, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust added: “We are delighted that we could facilitate this event for City Circle and it demonstrates what so many members of the Muslim community have expressed to us – that there is a role for all communities to play in Holocaust Memorial Day.

“As well as remembering those who were lost during the Holocaust, the day provides the opportunity to reflect on more recent genocides, such as Rwanda and Bosnia. To have survivors from these tragedies also supporting the event, serves as a reminder to all of us that discrimination and prejudice continues today, and it is our duty to stand up to those groups and individuals who encourage division and hatred in our communities.”

1. The Holocaust Educational Trust was established in 1988. Their aim is to educate young people from every ethnic background about the Holocaust and the important lessons to be learned for today. HET works in schools, universities and in the community to raise awareness and understanding of the Holocaust, providing teacher training, an outreach programme for schools, teaching aids and resource material. HET regard one of their earliest achievements as ensuring the Holocaust formed part of the National Curriculum for History. HET continues to play a leading role in training teachers on how best to teach the Holocaust. In November 2005, the Treasury announced funding of £1.5 million for HET to support its Lessons from Auschwitz project for teachers and sixth form students. The funding will enable HET to facilitate visits to Auschwitz for 2 students from every school in the UK. For more information, visit www.het.org.uk

2. The City Circle aims to promote the development of a distinct British Muslim identity; to assist the process of community cohesion and integration by building bilateral strategic alliances between Muslim and non-Muslim communities; and to harness and channel the skills and resources of Muslim professionals into practical projects thereby facilitating and empowering young Muslim women and men to ‘put back in’ to the wider British community. The City Circle hosts weekly events where ideas are developed and issues highlighted, and it seeks to promote practical and progressive solutions to community problems. It runs targeted community based projects and holds fundraising dinners to support and highlight social and welfare causes as well as servicing third party initiatives. For more information visit www.thecitycircle.com

3. The purpose of Holocaust Memorial Day is to remember the horrors of the Holocaust and those who perished. The day aims to ensure that the horrendous crimes against humanity committed during the Holocaust are never forgotten, and its relevance for each new generation is understood.

4. Details of the national event in Newcastle on 28th January and associated events across the rest of the UK are available on the Holocaust Memorial Day website at www.hmd.org.uk

5. Holocaust Memorial Day came about following an MP’s visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau with the Holocaust Educational Trust. Moved by his visit, Andrew Dismore MP proposed a bill, “to introduce a day to learn and remember the Holocaust” June 30 1999.