A very special memorial event took place in the heart of London this July, in the beautiful Ismaili Centre in South Kensington. The centre is surrounded by some of the most remarkable landmarks in the city including the Royal Albert Hall, the Natural History Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
The event in the centre was especially welcomed by Remembering Srebrenica, as the Ismaili centre was created and inspired from materials sourced from all over the world which, fused with the modern Islamic architecture, results in a very global, dignified, and spiritual building.
Nedžad Avdić, a survivor of the Srebrenica genocide, and Resad Trbonja, who survived the siege of Sarajevo both gave their testimonies of living through war and witnessing the atrocities that took place in Bosnia-Herzegovina 21 years ago.
A speech on the lessons from Srebrenica, and the relevance of learning about the genocide, was delivered by Dr Waqar Azmi OBE, the founder and Chairman of Remembering Srebrenica.
The event, which was organised and hosted by members of the Ismaili Council, also included a stunning rendition of the Bosnian lament “Kraj Potoka Bistre Vode”, from soprano Aida Čorbadžić, and cellist Belma Alić who performed after the survivors gave testimonies. This allowed audience members a moment of reflection before final prayers were offered by members of the Ismaili Council at the end of the event.
Remembering Srebrenica kindly thank the Ismaili Centre, Council, and volunteers for generously hosting the event.
